Thousands of fans gather for Broncos community day at Toowoomba Sports Ground
The Toowoomba Sports Ground was awash with maroon and gold during the Brisbane Broncos Community Day. See our photo gallery here.
If the crowds are anything to go by, Toowoomba is well and truly Broncos country.
Thousands of adoring fans have turned out for the club’s community day at the Toowoomba Sports Ground on Saturday.
The glamour team brought its entire squad up the Toowoomba Range, with superstars like Reece Walsh, Pat Carrigan and Kotoni Staggs running drills in the sweltering Darling Downs sun.
Coach Michael Maguire said community days were an important way to grow the team and the game.
“There are probably 3000 people here watching the training, it is pretty exciting,” he said.
“The Toowoomba Clydesdales put on an event for us last night and there were a fair few hundred people there talking about the club.
I understand the history of the Clydesdales with the Broncos and there’s a lot of support out here, everyone’s a Broncos fan.”
The community days will be followed with a pre-season exhibition game between the Broncos and the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday.
Maguire said it was important for players to get out and meet the fans.
“We were all young once and we all dreamt a little bit.
“So to see the young kids and parents being able to mix with the players is really special.
“The boys enjoy it
“We talk about the people that support us and how they are really important because they come to our games and we get to play in big stadiums where they all come and support. So it’s a big part of how we are building moving forward.”
“The ground seats about 7000 people and they were telling me last night that there were only about 100 tickets left, so I think some people may try to jump the fence.”
The huge turnout at community day was strong evidence of the support our community would throw behind regular NRL fixtures in the Garden City.
But Maguire declined to comment if we would see more of those games played at the Toowoomba Sports Ground.
“That is not up to me, but I am a bit of a country kid so getting out here is really important to me.”
Prior to the community day, the club ran a skills session with at-risk Darling Downs youths on Friday.
Carrigan, whose family hails from Goondiwindi, said he believed Toowoomba a special place for the Broncos.
“Toowoomba is our community and we feel that and I think they want to make the Broncos fans very proud this weekend,” he said on Friday.
“I grew up coming through the range and heading out to Gundy, and then I played a bit of school union over at (Toowoomba) Grammar and I was here with the Maroons last year so it feels like I’ve come full circle.
“I just love being out in regional communities and it’s a special place — bush footy as our first hit out for 2025 is something that definitely we’re looking forward to.
“I know what it means for young kids to be able to rub shoulders with their idols and see them on local grounds like this.”
Among the squad was hometown hero Corey Paix, who is vying among four other players for the number 9 jersey at Red Hill.
Carrigan said his teammate had been talking up the Garden City.
“He told me he actually owns half the real estate here and has a stand built after him so I’m waiting to see it,” he said.
“He’s a passionate kid from Toowoomba and Toowoomba has bred plenty of great footballers that have played for our club and Paixy’s another one for sure.
“He says he’s got a few dinner spots around, so he’s going to take us for a look around town later.”
Originally published as Thousands of fans gather for Broncos community day at Toowoomba Sports Ground
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