It was more than on-field results that mattered for the Mumma’s Pride rugby league teams as they made their way to Toowoomba to compete in the Warriors Reconciliation Carnival on Saturday.
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The team formed five years ago to ensure Lavinia Duroux’s legacy, her passion for sport and her culture would live on and is on display through the design of the jerseys.
“The design commemorates mum's life and how much she loved fishing and how much she taught us about our culture as well,” Lavinia’s daughter Helen said.
“They did us proud, they do everybody proud when they run out on the field.
“It is always an emotional lead up to the game and then after the game and at the game we are all crying.”
For the first time, a women’s team took part in the carnival with Mumma’s Pride fielding a side in an exhibition match against Toowoomba Warriors.
The men lost their first game and went into the second tier competition where they made the semi-finals before bowing out.
“We didn't win but that wasn't the point of being involved, the point was turning up, having good fun with family,” Helen said.
“I don't think there was many of those girls that had played tackle football before but once they got on the field they knew exactly what it was all about and put on an awesome display.
“One of our players was recognised and given a trophy for being the oldest player on the field and it was the second time he won it, James Jerome.”
This year the team also honoured player Bruce Binge who died by suicide in October.
Binge’s family were at the carnival and Helen said the Mumma’s Pride group made a special presentation to them.
“Also this year we lost one of our boys to suicide and we had him represented on our jerseys this year,” Helen said.
“We also presented his wife and children with a signed Mumma's Pride jersey with his number that he would run on with.
“There was not a dry eye in the area that we presented it to her and her children.
“Then we had her son Jahkeem put the jersey on and he led our team out for one of the games.”