Queensland Reds join Mission Australia clients in friendly touch football match

Blair Connor conceeding
a try by a Reconnect client

Mission Australia’s Roma House, one of Brisbane's leading homeless services, opened its doors this week to host players from the Queensland Reds rugby union team for a day of fun, music and football.

Roma House, which provides 24-hour, intensive care, support and accommodation for people who are chronically homeless, welcomed ten Queensland Reds players including Mark McLinden and Ben Lucas, who played touch football with the clients and provided them with coaching and fitness tips.

Roma House Manager, Rachel Watson, said the clients were extremely excited about playing with some of Queensland’s top sportsmen.

“We regularly organise touch football games down at the Roma St Parklands for our clients, and the guys really enjoyed having a game with the Queensland Reds,” said Rachel.

“We also organised for a special lunch, including entertainment, for after the game - so it was a fantastic day!”

Mission Australia teamed up with Community Queensland and Reclink – a charitable organisation that facilitates sporting, social and arts activities to enhance the lives of disadvantaged people – to organise the event. Reclink’s street orchestra project ‘The Reclaimers’ provided entertainment at the lunch.

The attendance by the Queensland Reds was facilitated by the Rugby Union Players’Association (RUPA) Foundation which announced a joint initiative with Mission Australia via the organisation’s ambassador program earlier this year.

Mission Australia State Director Tony Stevenson said the partnership provided a great opportunity for Mission Australia’s clients.

“I know many of our clients were inspired by meeting the Queensland Reds players and hearing about how they stay positive, keep their focus and rise to the challenges thrown at them while playing sport at an elite level,” Tony said.

“Likewise, I’m sure, after meeting our guys, the Queensland Reds players learned a thing or two about how to overcome adversity and stay focused when life doesn’t go your way.”