Sport
12 April, 2026
Union hits paddocks next weekend
THE FNQ rugby season start date is getting closer while the teams around the league are ramping up their final preparations for the much-anticipated 18 April season launch.
All teams, from Port Douglas all the way down to southside, have been putting in countless hours trying to find their way back to the top of the mountain, while the JCU Mariners are working on defending their crowns for the sixth straight season.
The 2025 season saw some amazing feats, with the dominance of the JCU Mariners continuing, going undefeated all the way through to another premiership.
With this continued success, the Mariners are very much now the hunted with the rest of the league chasing their tail, trying to be the first premiership team since 2020 that’s not the powerhouse JCU.
New Mariners coach Chloe Dray said they were “up to the challenge”.
“The boys and myself likewise are excited for the season and all the bumps and challenges that come with it,” she said.
The 2025 runners-up Barron Trinity Bulls have put last year’s heartbreaking seven-point loss in the back of their minds.
Bulls coach David Brooks said “it still stings, but were happy to use it as fuel for this season to hopefully make that next step”.
The other teams around the league have also been hard at work both training and re-signing their playing groups from last year.
The Port Douglas Reef Raiders have signed fullback Luke Edwards as captain for the 2026 season.
“I’m excited to lead the group this year. I think we’ve got an awesome squad and I’m super excited to see what the year brings,” he said.
The Cairns Wanderers have also been putting in the hours after a disappointing end to their 2025 season. The Southside Crusaders have also been put through a massive preseason and are “coming in hot”.
