Sport
28 August, 2026
Season ending with action
UNDER-12s basketball final tour locks in promising positions for championships.
Cairns Basketball U12s
CAIRNS Basketball’s under-12 squads have put the finishing touches on their preparations for the upcoming state championships, with all six teams travelling to Townsville for their final grading tournament on the North Queensland circuit.
The tournament provided the young stars with one final opportunity to test themselves against some of the region’s best competition while locking in their positions heading into the state championships.
The boys once again dominated the competition, with both the Division 2 and Division 3 squads claiming gold and completing the entire NQ circuit undefeated. Their consistent performances throughout the season have set the teams up as strong contenders heading into the biggest tournament of the year.
The Division 1 boys also enjoyed an impressive campaign, securing gold in Townsville and taking their season record to an outstanding 10-2. Their strong results across the three grading competitions have given the squad plenty of confidence as they prepare to take on the best teams from across Queensland.
While the girls’ teams did not experience the same level of success across the three competitions, their performances have provided valuable experience ahead of the state championships. The squads will now have the chance to put those lessons into practice when they take on Queensland’s top sides in Brisbane.
The girls remain determined and excited about their state championship campaign and will be hoping to produce their best basketball and some silverware back to Cairns.
For all six squads, the journey to Brisbane represents the culmination of months of training, competition and development. The young players will now look to carry their NQ form onto the state stage, with the boys aiming to continue their remarkable run and the girls hungry to make their mark.
The Cairns Basketball U12 teams will travel to Brisbane for the state championships from 24-27 September.
Rugby League
THE Cairns District Rugby League semi-finals delivered plenty of drama, with several closely fought contests setting the stage for an exciting finish to the season across both the reserves and senior competitions.
In the reserves, Southern Suburbs held off a surging Mareeba Gladiators side to secure a hard-fought 28-22 victory.
Mareeba entered the contest with strong momentum, but Southern Suburbs showed composure under pressure to withstand the Gladiators’ challenge and book their place in the next stage of the finals.
The other reserves semi-final was another back-and-forth battle, with the Kangaroos eventually overcoming Innisfail 22-18. The narrow four-point victory ensured they remained in the hunt for the reserves premiership.
The senior semi-finals produced a contrasting pair of results, with Southern Suburbs putting together a convincing performance against the Kangaroos. Southern Suburbs took control of the contest and secured a comfortable 22-8 victory.
Southern Suburbs’ defensive effort restricted the Kangaroos to just eight points while they consistently applied pressure at the other end of the field. The result puts the club in a strong position heading into the final stages of the competition.
Meanwhile, Cairns Brothers continued their impressive run of form with a dominant 46-18 victory over Innisfail. Brothers wasted little time establishing control and produced a powerful attacking display to pull away from their opponents.
The 28-point victory underlined Cairns Brothers’ status as one of the competition’s leading sides and ensured they advanced with plenty of confidence. Innisfail battled throughout, but Brothers’ attacking firepower ultimately proved too difficult to contain.
With Southern Suburbs advancing in both grades and Cairns Brothers continuing their senior dominance, the Cairns District Rugby League finals race is reaching its most exciting stage. The remaining teams will now look to turn their semi-final success into premiership glory.
Rugby Union
THE FNQ Rugby grand finals delivered two hard-fought contests, with Tablelands Reds and JCU Rugby Club emerging as champions in the reserves and seniors competitions respectively.
In the reserves, Tablelands Reds capped off a remarkable undefeated season with a high-scoring 57-47 victory over Penrhyn in a thrilling shootout. The Reds’ attacking depth proved decisive, with eight different players crossing the try line.
Despite Penrhyn’s best efforts to stay within striking distance, the Reds continued to find ways through the defence and ultimately held on to secure the grand final victory. The result marked a fitting end to a season in which Tablelands Reds remained.
Reds coach Luca Ferrari praised his players for their commitment throughout the season, saying, “It capped off the perfect season for us, all the hard work we put in well and truly paid off.”
While the reserves final produced a points-filled spectacle, the senior decider was a much tighter affair, with JCU continuing its remarkable dominance over the competition.
JCU secured its sixth consecutive grand final victory, edging out Barron 26-21 in a tense, back-and-forth contest. Neither side was willing to give an inch, with momentum shifting throughout the match before JCU managed to hold its nerve when it mattered most.
The narrow victory further cemented JCU’s place in FNQ Rugby history, extending a run of success that has seen the club dominate the senior competition for six straight seasons.
With Tablelands Reds completing a perfect season in the reserves and JCU adding another championship to its extraordinary winning streak, the FNQ Rugby grand finals provided two very different but equally memorable celebrations of success.
