With club Rugby still on a hiatus for this foreseeable future, Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) with the help of our live streaming partner DoubleTake, is set to bring fans Round 4 of the Hospital Challenge Cup V competition this afternoon at 3:20pm.
The virtual version of Queensland Premier Rugby returns after the Easter bye weekend and will see player representatives from each club go head-to-head in what would have been their scheduled Round 4 matches. Utilising the game Rugby Challenge 3 and PlayStation technology, DoubleTake have built virtual versions of each Premier Rugby First Grade side for players to utilise.
Players will be taking part in the competition from their very own living rooms, with the team at Double Take coming up with brand new methods to bring Rugby fans their weekend club Rugby fix, whilst adhering to the Government’s COVID-19 preventative measures.
This weekend we welcome a host of first time players to the competition, while some of the club’s best performers so far, including Leigh Ireland (Souths) and Jono Hides (UQ), return to the fold.
Game 3 this week will see Sunnybank and Easts go head-to-head in what would have been their scheduled Rick Tyrrell Cup clash for 2020. Each year the club’s contest the trophy in memory of Rick, while also partnering with charity Rugby Unite, to raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing.
Rugby Unite was founded by a group of Rick’s mates, and together with Queensland Rugby Union (QRU), they are helping to roll out mental health first aid training for Rugby clubs around Queensland.
Round 4 matches are as follows:
Game 1 – Norths (Nick Chapman) v University of Queensland (Jono Hides)
Game 2 – Wests (Trent Machong) v GPS (Reuben Fon-Lowe)
Game 3 – Sunnybank (Tui Tusa) v Easts (Fred Fewtrell)
Game 4 – Souths (Leigh Ireland) v Brothers (Brad Kapa)
In Round 1, over 20,000 people tuned into the first weekend of the competition of Facebook alone. Bond University flanker Connor Pritchard, who represented the Bull Sharks in Round 1 said: “This competition brings to life the Rugby vibe and it means the game isn’t forgotten and brings players together.
“It can be depressing being at home all week self-isolating so if we can bring some happiness to the Rugby community once a week, that’s a massive positive and will hopefully provide people with some cheer.”
Regular Premier Rugby commentator Jay Staunton said: “At a time when there is so much turmoil in the world, it’s important to provide people with a chance to connect and come together.
“One thing we know about the Queensland Premier Rugby community is that they are really tight, if we can do something to bring light to such a dark time, it’s absolutely fantastic.”
Fans can tune into Round 4 of the Hospital Challenge Cup V competition via a number of channels, including the Reds.Rugby and Qld.Rugby website, Queensland Premier Rugby Facebook and Queensland Premier Rugby’s new Twitch account. CLICK HERE to follow Premier Rugby on Twitch.
