Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) will start as ‘underdog’ this weekend when it takes on its Queensland counterparts in a rugby league State-of-Origin-style encounter at North Sydney Oval.
The Queensland Fire Department (QFD) has enjoyed the edge over its southern rivals over the past few years but this Sunday, FRNSW, known as the Phoenix, is determined to turn the tables.
Both teams onto the field
A bagpiper will welcome both teams onto the field ahead of the 11.30 am kick-off
A bagpiper will welcome both teams onto the field ahead of the 11.30 am kick-off.
”Queensland has had the wood on us for some time now,” FRNSW Station Officer and Coach, Heath Langdon, observed. “We’ve only managed the one victory in 10 or 12 years. But we’re determined to rewrite the script this year.”
Station Officer Langdon adds, “We’re fielding a solid team, some really good players from places like Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Sydney and the Central Coast, right down to the South Coast.”
Team with the Firefighters’ Shield
Heath Langdon continues: “We’ll be led by talented firefighters like Matthew Waugh, who’ll be skipper; and Adrian Davis, a bit of a ‘weapon’ who’s played in the Koori Cup and alongside NRL players. We’ve got a big chance this year and we’re coming off a recent 8-4 victory over the Australian Navy."
FRNSW Commissioner, Jeremy Fewtrell, will present the winning team with the Firefighters’ Shield. A national firefighters’ side will be selected from these teams to take on the NSW Police on September 1. Firefighters will also collect donations on the day for the ‘Beat the Burn’ charity, benefitting children being treated in the Burns Unit of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
