Husband and wife duo go all in for Queensland Outback

Nadia and Trent Hoad are a team on and off the field.

The husband and wife duo from Ilfracombe don’t just raise their family together but are synonymous with rugby league in their region.

This weekend they will both represent Queensland Outback, in the men’s and women’s representative clashes against North Queensland United.

It’s the second time they will both feature on this stage but for years they have been helping to run the game in the Central West.

In fact, Nadia knew who Trent was years before they properly met.

“I knew him because of who he is in rugby league,” Nadia said.

“My husband has been involved in Central West footy for 20 years… I used to live in Barcaldine and I remember him coming to Barcy and playing unreal footy.

“He’s definitely synonymous in the Central West for being a pretty talented rugby league player. So I  knew him through rugby league initially and it’s always played a part in our relationship in the fact that it’s something we have in common.

“Not just rugby league but any type of competitive sport, basically. We’re always the first hand to put our hands up for anything.”

Nadia hasn’t been playing rugby league as long as her husband of seven years as she was originally involved in rugby union for 15 years before taking up the game in 2008 - the same year she started dating Trent.

She said interest was starting to wane in union in the region so she turned to rugby league, first playing in the Central Highlands competition.

She then did her ACL in 2012 and had six years off all competitive sports, welcoming her two daughters with Trent during this time.

Following the six years away, she decided to get her ACL reconstructed and get back to sport.

“I will play anything,” Nadia said.

“Throughout my time out in the west, there’s been little games of rugby league here and there that I’ve put my hand up for. It’s mostly social out here and I wasn’t planning on doing anything representative wise… it was mainly for my fitness and the social aspect.

“When I went back to rugby league, the Outback team didn’t exist for women so it wasn’t on my radar. But any game of footy going around, I will put my hand up for it.”

While Trent has been representing Queensland Outback for more than a decade, last year was the first time a women’s team was put together to take on NQ United.

Nadia, who is president of the Longreach/Ilfracombe Tigers, helped get the concept off the ground, working with fellow player Kailah Rogers and Queensland Rugby League’s Outback league and club coordinator, Peter Rafter.

“When they came to us with the concept, I did all I could,” she said.

“I’ve always had something to do with a club, whether it be catering, treasurer, president… whatever I can do to help out.

“Kailah Rogers and I are really good friends and have always had a passion for the game. Anything to do with women’s league, we’d be the first port of call. We usually get together, collaborate and try to get games off the ground.

“Last year with that game, I didn’t go into it thinking I’d play … we don’t play a lot of competitive footy out here so you think you’re not match fit.

“And I am probably older than your average girl in that team. I’m 41 this year so it wasn’t on my radar. I was doing it to make up numbers and encourage other people to do it.

“But when I got selected, I was stoked. We went up to Tully and had an absolute blast. It was a really well-run camp and the day and everything. It was really rewarding.”

Trent, a "jack of all trades" on the footy field, didn’t originally make the Queensland Outback team last year after missing trials due to work.

He went to Tully to watch and support his wife, but ended up pulling on the jersey to make it the perfect day out for the family.

“He came up to watch me and one of the boys didn’t make their flight and he just happened to have a really good relationship with the coach,” Nadia said.

“Trent got called up the night before the game. That was a bit of a novelty. They were half warming up before us but he got to watch a little bit and then he watched the livestream later on.

“We had a bit of a joke and I said, ‘you come up here and steal my thunder’ but it was actually quite cool to be able to play for the same team.”

This year they have both made the teams to play in Roma and are ready for the challenge ahead, with their kids in tow.

Nadia, who plays lock and hooker, has two sons from a previous relationship – Memphis, 19, and Capri, 16 – and her two daughters with Trent – Kora, 6 and Reggie, 5.

While the pair are proud of the work they do together on and off the field for rugby league in the Outback, they are also really proud of the influence they can have on their children.

It can involve a lot of juggling, with Trent a carpenter and Nadia employed by Queensland Health, as well as their responsibilities with Longreach/Ilfracombe Tigers, but they make it work together.

Memphis, who lives in Rockhampton, also plays rugby league and they think Kora and Reggie will be next to follow in their footsteps.

“I think they’re very proud of me,” Nadia said.

“Kids these days aren’t real open about that stuff but they really do love it. They love their footy.

“The girls especially, they’ve been born into it. I know that Trent won his first premiership 10 days after our first daughter was born.

“We have a photo of Kora in the premiership-winning cup. She was almost literally born into it.”

Queensland Outback women will play NQ United at 11am on Sunday followed by the men’s game at 12.15pm at Roma's Arthur Beetson Oval ahead of the Hostplus Cup clash between Norths Devils and Burleigh Bears at 2.10pm.

The matches will be livestreamed on Qplus.tv.