A CROWD of 5000 people welcomed the New Zealand Warriors to Logan on Friday (22 August), and some lucky young locals got to meet their idols.
The NRL team last month announced Logan would be their “home-away-from-home”, with an “elite” training academy and community program opening at the Logan Metro Sports Park in Brown Plains, which is where the team held their first training session last week.
Free tickets to watch the session sold out in a matter of days. After the training, players stayed behind to greet local fans, take photos and sign autographs.
Warriors CEO Cameron George said the team already felt welcome in Logan, and thanked the community for their support and turnout.
“The coming weeks are ripe with potential – we’ve got the finals in our sights as well as setting up the programs here in Logan. Our team is about community, culture, and connection, and we’ve really felt the love from the crowd today.”
Deputy mayor Scott Bannan, who recently traveled to New Zealand on his own dime to pitch the partnership to the Warriors, said Logan had always been seen as an underdog.
However, he said that created a deep pride and sense of family within the community.
“The Warriors family is full of pride too, which is why we’re so well aligned and why this partnership has been so well received,” Cr Bannan said.
“This is a game changer and this is the best thing to happen in our community for sport.”
Mayor Jon Raven said the Australian-first training academy and community development program would benefit the city.
“Not only will this program bring direct access to elite NRL pathways in Logan, it will offer trade employment opportunities and other careers,” he said. “This is about sport making a difference to our young people – and building a better future for them starts right here in Logan. Rugby league is hugely popular here and we have so many talented players.”
He said the partnership could see professional games played in Logan, but first the city’s sporting facilities would need upgrading.
