Mumma’s Pride may be the name of the local Indigenous rugby league team – in honour of late matriarch Lavinia Duroux – but chests (mothers’ and others) were all bursting with pride when the team brought home gold from one of its outings.
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The team was one of 16 playing at the Toowoomba Warriors Knockout Carnival on January 28, and after drawing Brisbane Blacks the Pride had wins and losses to come out the other end as Plate Final Winners, taking out the losers’ pool.
Marc McGrade was awarded Player of the Finals and his uncle James Jerome – at the grand old age of 42 –received the trophy for Senior Player of the Year.
While most of the players in the three-year-old team came from Tenterfield, they were supplemented by others from Brisbane, Boggabilla/Toomelah, Maclean, Lismore and Coffs Harbour. Kim Ingebritsen of Brisbane coached, while James, Marc and Codie Tandy were joint team managers.
Youngest sibling James was the only child of Lavinia’s on the field but there were plenty of other relatives, with three generations involved.
To get them there Lavinia’s daughters and nieces undertook a lot of fundraising, helped out by sponsorship from Thawungali Arts & Crafts and Irene and Rodney Horn. Helen Duroux said the supporters have been ‘rattling the can’ at the Royal Hotel’s pool nights on a Thursday, raffling meat trays, and would welcome more support to get the team to other competitions.
After three years of hard slog this is the first time the team made a grand final, and it was a very emotional experience for those on and off the field, according to Helen, with extended family among the 2000 at the carnival.
“All the brothers and sisters came from all over the place,” she said.
It’s awesome for us to finally get some trophies after all the hard work and dedication.
- Helen Duroux
“It’s awesome for us to finally get some trophies after all the hard work and dedication. It was the biggest cheer squad ever and an emotional thing to see.”
Overall winners on the day were Northern Gomerois, beating Northern River Gooris.
Marc now plays in the rep team the Emus in Toowoomba, team member Charlie Duroux is with the Warwick Cowboys and youngest player Brandon Brown, 16 years old, has just been signed up to trial with Marist Brothers in Lismore, with hopes of moving on to bigger and better things.
Hopefully the team can return to the Lismore Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout Carnival in September and possibly repeat Toowoomba’s feat (or better it), but it depends on funding.
Helen said Mumma’s Pride has just received a $300 donation from the Tenterfield Lions Club to help out, and the fundraising team is seeking more sponsors.
