The Central Cape Suns celebrate record engagement numbers as they look to 2026. Photo: Facebook (Central Cape Suns Jnr Rugby League).
After a record-breaking season for junior rugby league in Weipa, the Central Cape Suns are looking to keep the momentum going with a fresh executive committee.
Despite facing a hiccup with numbers initially at its planned AGM last month, the club saw massive engagement from the community at attempt two, which had 19 people in attendance.
Outgoing president Jess Rex said the meetings were normally lucky to get nine people, adding it was a testament to the community’s dedication to keeping the club running for the kids.
“It was just really nice to see how passionate the community members were to come and attend the AGM, and to listen in on the conversations taking place,” she said.
“I think that was the main message to get across — that you don’t necessarily need to take on a position, but the meeting cannot be formed or move forward if we do not have the correct number there for a quorum for the meeting.
“Just to have so many people dedicated to showing up and sparing their time really meant a lot, and showed how lucky the club is to have such committed people involved.”
Ms Rex said one of the Central Cape Suns’ biggest achievements in 2025 was reaching 300 registered players. As a remote club home to junior athletes in Weipa, Napranum and Mapoon, the former president said documentation and identification had been a huge challenge undertaken by volunteers and the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) this year.
“I think we’ve been really lucky, because we definitely have a dedicated support team of coaches and parents who are involved, and we are very blessed with a close relationship with our QRL representatives and NRL representatives, who really want to see the club moving forward positively,” she said.
“Our registrar did an amazing job chasing all of that up, because that’s done for those kids now. For me, to have 300 fully registered players, it just provides this alternate pathway for a lot of kids, where sporting is their future.
“Having a dedicated committee, people who are willing to go the extra mile, but also have the understanding of our region and the challenges that come with it, makes more opportunities possible.”
Ms Rex has now handed the presidential reins to Michelle Kostecki, who will be leading the club into 2026 following a huge boost in engagement.
This week, Ms Kostecki, new secretary Mel Brewer, and continuing treasurer Lauren Haimes will meet to discuss key priorities for the club, including overcoming roadblocks identified during the AGM and handover, boosting junior and parent participation in weekly activities, increasing QRL presence in surrounding communities, and increasing opportunities for local sponsorships and partnerships.
“Next year is our last year in town, so it was really nice to see people step in and choose to give it a go,” Ms Rex said.
“Michelle is very passionate about keeping kids engaged in sport … when she saw that nobody was willing to take on the position, she stepped in straightaway, and her words were, ‘It’s for the kids.'”
