A group of university students will get a special experience on Thursday night when they play a curtain raiser to the Broncos-Bulldogs match at Suncorp Stadium.
The University of Queensland Hounds and the Australian Catholic University will contest the match kicking off at 5.15pm.
The game will also re-ignite the 2017 Universities Rugby League Queensland competition after the semester break and is part of a special ‘Uni night’ by the Broncos and their partner, the University of Queensland.
Former Maroons star Jharal Yow Yeh coaches ACU, and will come up against a work colleague in Broncos’ performance analyst Scott Barker, who is in charge of the Hounds.
Yow Yeh said it would be a huge night for the young players.
“I know first hand what a special experience it is to play on the magic ground that is Suncorp Stadium,” he said.
“So for a lot of these boys it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“To be running out to play a fully-fledged curtain raiser to a match between the Broncos and Bulldogs is a wonderful opportunity for the players, the clubs involved, and the URLQ competition.”
The match will also be an opportunity for both teams to start their run to the URLQ finals in a strong manner.
In a tightly-congested ladder, the Hounds sit on 11 competition points in equal first with three other teams – the Griffith Dragons, QUT Trouts and Griffith Logan Redbacks.
ACU are just one win behind with Griffith Gold Coast Panthers chasing a further win back.
Barker said it was a great way to start the competition after the semester holidays.
“It is going to be a big night for the players involved and the closeness of the competition makes it an important fixture in terms of the ladder,” he said.
“Our players are very excited for the chance they are going to get.”
The rest of the URLQ teams will begin their chase for the premiership next Wednesday (July 26) when all six sides will play at various venues around south-east Queensland.
