Queensland Country Heelers vs Melbourne Axemen

It's happened! And Queensland Country Heelers paid us by winning over the Axemen 37-7 in a well fought and high level game of rugby.

The Heelers ruled the first half, scoring two penalties and a converted try under the posts for a 13-0 halftime lead. After the break, two more tries put the Heelers ahead 23-0 before Melbourne got on the board with a try of their own. Queensland Country replied with their final try and a win of 37-7. We thank both teams and management, the ARS, the QRU, the TDRU, our sponsors and supporters and all club members who helped put on this great day of rugby.

(click on any image for a larger image)

                                                      

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Locals and visitors to the historic gold mining town of Charters Towers will be treated to a sporting and cultural bonanza during the 2008 May-day weekend. Charters Towers Rugby Union will be hosting the first round of the Australian Rugby Shield on the 3rd May between Queensland Country Heelers and the Melbourne Axemen with the weekend also coinciding with the annual Charters Towers Country Music Festival which will be held at the show grounds from May 2 to May 4.

The Charters Towers Rugby Club welcomes both teams to Charters Towers and is honoured to be the home venue for the Heelers and to showcase what will no doubt be a very fast and expansive game of rugby, played at a very high level. Local players, supporters and the community are encouraged to stay on after the game to rub shoulders with the best rugby players from Queensland Country.

Charters Towers and Townsville businesses have been fantastic, pledging their support for this event. Three TDRU games and a Walla Rugby presentation complement the ARS match. The rugby afternoon starts at 2:30 pm, the ARS match kicks off at 4:00.

Come watch Country Rugby at its best!

(Melbourne holds the Shield from 2007 - Queensland last won the Shield in 2000)

Heelers Selection Trial Completed The Hutchinson Builders Queensland Country Heelers team to play the Melbourne Axemen in the opening match of the Australian Rugby Championship on May 3 has been announced. The announcement follows a five day camp on the Gold Coast involving a training squad of 32. The Heelers played two trial games university sides in which the Heelers were successful on both occasions. Heelers 65 defeated Queenland Universities 5 Heelers 20 defeated New South Wales Universities11 The team selected for the game against the Axemen is Chris Barlow, Brendan Bunyan, Wil Andersen, Joel Shiells, Michael Zovko, Aiphonse Gima, Andrew Turner (Townsville), Justin Garvey, Dan Rollinson, James Obst, Andrew Macpherson, Andrew Pauli (Darling Downs), Jordan Massey, Lee Boylan, Kelemedi Degei, Steve Mulqueen, Jose Bruce, Allan Chatfield (Cairns), Haydn Hirshmaki, Anton Russek (Sunshine Coast), Garren Davidson, Nicholas Hohala-Howe (Gold Coast), Coach: Terry Shiells (Townsville), Manager: Robert Brennan (Cairns) The Heelers first match will be played at Dave Thomas Oval in Charters Towers (kick-off 4:00 PM). The 2008 tournament ends on Saturday 31 May when the Heelers will have played the Adelaide Black-Falcons, Darwin Mosquitoes, NSW Country Cockatoos and Tassie Jack Jumpers.

The Australian Rugby Shield (ARS) is a national competition that aims to provide regional teams and developing unions with a regular schedule to compete against each other at a higher level of competition than would normally be possible in their individual states or territories. The 2008 Australian Rugby Shield will consist of a 5-week round robin competition commencing on Saturday 3 May and culminating on Saturday 31 May 2008. The winner is first-past- the-post after the completion of the round robin competition. There will be no semi-finals or final. The 2008 ARS will be conducted between the following teams: Adelaide Black-Falcons, Darwin Mosquitoes, Melbourne Axemen, NSW Country Cockatoos, Queensland Country Heelers and Tassie Jack Jumpers. Date Time Match Venue 3 May 3:00 pm Darwin v Adelaide Austar Rugby Park, Darwin 3 May 4:00 pm Queensland Country v Melbourne Dave Thomas Oval, Charters Towers 10 May 3:00 pm Darwin v Queensland Country Austar Rugby Park, Darwin 10 May 7:00 pm Adelaide v Tasmania Brighton Rugby Club, Adelaide 10 May 7:00 pm Melbourne v NSW Country Harlequin Rugby Club, Ashwood 17 May 2:00 pm Tasmania v Darwin Rugby Park, Hobart 17 May 5:00 pm NSW Country v Queensland Country Victoria Park, Warren 17 May 7:00 pm Melbourne v Adelaide Harlequin Rugby Club, Ashwood 24 May 2:00 pm Tasmania v Melbourne Rugby Park, Hobart 24 May 3:00 pm NSW Country v Darwin Ocean Park, Woonona 24 May 6:30 pm Queensland Country v Adelaide Albert Park, Broadbeach 31 May 3:00 pm Adelaide v NSW Country Burnside Rugby Club, Adelaide 31 May 7:00 pm Melbourne v Darwin Harlequin Rugby Club, Ashwood

Valued Sponsors for the Match

• (please support them as they support our community)

  Aussie Outback Oasis

  Amalgamated Pest Control

  Alford Motors

  Chilly Air Conditioning

  Pelchen Electrical

  Foodworks

  Hastings Deering

  Tonys Truck Parts

  Dalrymple Shire Council and Charters Towers City Council (now as Charters Towers Regional Council)

  Geaneys

  Westons Carrying Service

  Hitech Solutions

  Hamilton Printers

  Towers Power Equipment

  Enterprise Hotel

  Rybenleigh

  Charters Towers Vets

  Ray White Rural

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