Laurie Spina Shield 2023

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Laurie Spina Shield returns for 26th year.
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Seventy-two junior rugby league teams from across the state have rubbed shoulders with their North Queensland Toyota Cowboys heroes this weekend, as they descended on Townsville for the 26th annual Laurie Spina Shield, supported by Localsearch.

The Laurie Spina Shield is the largest junior rugby league carnival in the southern hemisphere, combining two huge days of on-field action with a feast of football activities, including a meet and greet with Cowboys players and the chance to take to the field at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

Eight pools of nine under-11 teams will play 244 games over the two-day carnival at Townsville Brothers on day one, before eight teams are selected to participate in four games on Saturday as curtain raisers to the Cowboys v Tigers NRL game kicking off at 5.30pm.

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With a focus on participation, the Laurie Spina Shield was established in 1997 and is named after the Cowboys inaugural captain Laurie Spina, with a shield presented in his honour.

Laurie played his junior rugby league in the Herbert River district, playing 169 NRL games for North Sydney Bears (1983-84), Sydney Roosters (1985-89), Cronulla Sharks (1990) and North Queensland Cowboys (1995).

Teams have travelled from far and wide to attend, including two teams from the Torres Strait Islands as well as groups from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Mount Isa and Far North Queensland.

While select teams will have the chance to play the greatest game of all on the Cowboys’ home ground, a lap of honour pre-game will also give carnival participants the chance to walk a lap of the stadium in front of family and friends.

At NRL half time, every team will have their opportunity to shine as part of the popular Fastest Feet relay, as the playing arena fills with juniors eager to show their speed across the width of the main field.

The spectacle of the Laurie Spina Shield is one that nine current Cowboys will remember well, with Kyle Feldt, Mitchell Dunn, Reuben Cotter, Tom Dearden, Valentine Holmes, Gehamat Shibasaki, Tom Chester, Robert Derby and Jake Bourke all having played in the carnival as juniors.

For Cowboys Gold Partner Localsearch, this year’s carnival continues a long-term commitment to grassroots rugby league in the North and to the values celebrated and shared by the teams, players, officials and supporters alike.

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Laurie Spina Shield 2023 Livestream
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One of Australia's biggest junior rugby league carnivals has hit town again with more than 1,100 youngsters set to descend on Townsville for the annual Laurie Spina Shield, presented by Local search.

For the seventh consecutive year the Under-11s competition, which is hosted by the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys, will feature a capacity 72 teams and an enormous 263 games of rugby league.

Games will be played across Friday and Saturday with the final to be played at 1300SMILES Stadium on Saturday evening as a curtain-raiser to the NRL Cowboys v Dragons match.

"There is no other junior rugby league carnival like the Laurie Spina Shield in Australia," Cowboys game development manager Liam Bartlett said.

"We have teams coming from across Queensland as well as the Northern Territory and one from the Torres Strait Islands.

"The Cowboys are unique in that our footprint is geographically the largest of any club in the NRL and this carnival reflects and continues that culture of communities coming together."

Aside from a large number of teams from North, Central and South East Queensland, the Northern Territory will be represented by the NT Titans, the Zendath Kes Stingers will fly the flag for the Torres Strait Islands and the Augathella Meat Ants will make the journey north from Western Queensland.

Another highlight of the weekend will be the Fastest Feet Relay, where eight players from each team will compete in a relay race across the 1300SMILES Stadium at half-time of the Cowboys-Dragons match.

HISTORY – LAURIE SPINA SHIELD The Laurie Spina Shield was established in 1997 and is named after the North Queensland Cowboys inaugural captain Laurie Spina. Laurie played his junior rugby league in the Herbert River district, playing 169 NRL games for North Sydney Bears (1983-84), Sydney Roosters (198589), Cronulla Sharks (1990) and North Queensland Cowboys (1995). Laurie has also been a tireless contributor to the development of junior rugby league in North Queensland. In recognition of his efforts and achievements, a shield is presented in his honour.