Callan Jones /

With his quick sense of humour, eye for detail, and love for the colour maroon, Callan Jones brings boundless creativity to QRL. He got his foot in the door through a university assignment with the Mackay Cutters. And after years of freelance work, Callan threw his hat in the ring to become our Graphic Designer in Brisbane. Six years on, he now looks after all of our creative output - from Junior Rugby League to the elite level of the Queensland Maroons.

Passion and purpose, by design

Ever worn a Maroons jersey, purchased a scarf on game day, liked a promotional video on social media, or been handed a flyer for your local club? The chances are you’ve admired Callan's team's work. Our Creative and Design Lead uses his skills to promote the game across the state, combining his technical knowledge with his lifelong love for Rugby League.

“You don’t need to have a passion for the game to work here, but I think it helps. After all, the work I do is all about one game... and the colour palette I’m working with features a whole lot of maroon!”

Callan views himself as a fan first, which he considers a helpful perspective in his role. It allows him to view content from the point of view of a fan, rather than an output perspective only. That outlook recently proved very useful.

Code Name: ‘Project Q’

Callan recently wrapped up work on ‘Project Q’ - a mission to update the Queensland Rugby League logo. A project two years in the making, it began in early 2019 when Callan approached the senior leadership team with a plan to rebrand.

“We began slowly, putting together preliminary concepts and speaking to players, fans and focus groups. I wanted to ensure we stayed true to the history of QRL to keep that historical connection alive. We took elements from the previous 5 designs we’ve had over the century, and incorporated them into a fresh look - while still honouring our roots.”

As the world slowed down during COVID lockdowns, and as working from home became the norm, Callan and his team used the down time to ramp up their rebranding efforts. In late 2020, two years after the initial pitch to senior leaders, the creative team released their fresh design.

The reaction from fans was overwhelmingly positive. With this rebrand project a success, Callan has now permanently made his mark at Queensland Rugby League. But his passion for promoting the game stems from a childhood of cheering from the sidelines.

A passion for promoting the game

Callan grew up in Northern Queensland, and he’s familiar with the loyalty and pride found in the Rugby League community. He barracks for the Dragons ("My old man was a fan") but being from the North he tells us he also has a soft spot for the Cowboys. During his final year studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts at James Cook University, Callan was keen to dip his toes into the sports design industry. Rather than waiting around for an opportunity, he went out and created one for himself.

“My final assignment was to build a website for a real organisation, to show real-world experience. I looked into the Mackay Cutters and thought their website wasn’t that great, so I reached out and asked if they would like me to construct it. It was a bit awkward - I had to be like, “no offense, but your website is not good!” Thankfully they were all for it, and they loved what I produced.”

Through his university assignment, Callan connected with then-CEO Jamie MacDonald. Jamie’s an ex Cowboys player, so the two regional rugby league fans had a lot to connect over. From there, Callan worked with the Cutters for another few years as a freelance designer. Each subsequent CEO kept Callan on as a freelancer, and he worked at various marketing agencies in full-time roles.

Callan was working with an agency in Townsville when his wife saw a job posting for QRL and encouraged him to apply. As he’d only had regional experience, Callan was hesitant to put his name forward. Thankfully, his wife and friends encouraged him to give it a shot.

“I remember being at a Cowboys game, dressed head to toe in their gear, when I told a friend that I was applying to work for QRL. They said they thought it would be perfect for me. It was a great opportunity to align my career with my passion. When I was offered the role, I immediately made the move to Brisbane while my wife stayed behind to pack up the house. She’s such a trooper. I’m grateful to have her support.”

Six years on, Callan has been promoted to Creative and Design lead, and he’s loved every step of the journey. And while his story begins with a passion for the game, he says that isn’t a necessity for pursuing a career at QRL.

“We come from all over; we have a broad range of backgrounds. But we’ve been brought together by this organisation. QRL makes a huge effort to harbour an environment where people are enabled to thrive - whether that’s on the field or behind the screen. It’s true that I love working with high-profile sporting teams - but it’s the everyday people that I work alongside each week that really make this job great.”

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