‘DEVASTATING’: Footy community in shock after fire

THE NRRRL and sporting community have rallied around the club after a fire ripped through their building.

Flames burst from the roof of the Cudgen Leagues club as Queensland Fire Brigade Officers assist local Kingscliff and Tweed Units to fight the fire .Photo Scott Powick Newscorp

A DEVASTATING fire which gutted the Cudgen Leagues Club on Monday has left the community searching for answers.

Northern Rivers Rugby League president Mark Harrison said the full extent of the damage was still unknown.

Harrison is also the Cudgen football club treasurer and has been a member of the Cudgen Leagues club for many years.

"It's devastating for all of us and I'm not sure if we can salvage anything from the fire," Harrison said.
 

Cudgen Leagues Club day after

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"The NRRRL will provide support anyway we can; the club still doesn't know exactly what happened.

"We'll have to figure that out and get through the insurance side of things but we'll definitely get through it together.

"The community are in shock and the Leagues Club is a big part of the sporting landscape here."

Cudgen Headland Football Club was formed in 1979 before changing its name to Cudgen Leagues Club in 2000.

Cudgen Leagues Club blaze

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It has a strong association with a range of activities in the community and most sports within the Tweed Coast area.

Decades worth of sporting memorabilia inside the club is believed to have been lost in the fire.

"It's photos of players who have made country sides over the years and stuff you can never get back," Harrison said.

"All our footy gear was in there and we still don't know for sure what we've lost.

"Some of the club functions have held up to 300 people upstairs and we have a pretty proud history here.

"I'm sure the community will rally around the club."

About 30 firefighters from six NSW Fire and Rescue crews including Kingscliff, Banora Point and Brunswick Heads and two from Queensland battled the fire into the night on Monday.

Tweed councillor James Owen paid tribute to the popular watering hole and sports hub.

"My thoughts and condolences are with our local community whilst they navigate this tremendous loss," he said.

"This comes at a time when potentially at the end of the week there could be positive news about people being able to return to the work (from COVID-19) or come to hang out and talk about everything that has happened... now that has been taken away from many people.

There is a lot of history associated with the club. It is very sad."