Former NRL greats including Petereo Civoniceva, Kevin Campion and Ben Ross, will be dusting off their boots again this Friday when they represent the Men of League All Stars as part of the NRL Masters Carnival on the Gold Coast.
The four-day Rugby League carnival, hosted by the Runaway Bay Seagulls Rugby League Club, will see up to 2000 players and team officials take part in over 200 matches from Wednesday, March 4, through to Saturday, March 7.
First held in 2007, when fifteen teams attended, this year’s event has attracted 80 teams from across Australia and one visiting from Norfolk Island, making it one of the most popular participation events on the NRL Calendar.
A highlight of the carnival will be the Men of League All Stars team playing the Runaway Bay Old Boys at 4pm on Friday. The All Stars side will also include the likes of Michael Buettner, Scott Sattler, PJ Marsh and Dale Shearer.
Former NRL, State of Origin and Test referee Steve Clark will be match official for the Men of League All Stars vs Runaway Bay Old Boys game.
NRL Head of Football Todd Greenberg said today that the Masters was an important part of the game’s participation strategy.
“This event, and others like it throughout the year, keeps players and officials of various ages involved in the game by providing them with a safe and enjoyable environment to play in,” he said.
“I would like to thank the organisers and the Runaway Bay club for their assistance in making this such a wonderful event. I hope that everyone enjoys the Carnival and I know that many lasting friendships will be made.”
Masters is for players aged 35 years and over and has modified rules for player safety. Scores are not kept, meaning players are purely playing for pride.
The NRL Masters carnival schedule is as follows:
Wednesday 4th March: Player Registration and Welcome Dinner
Thursday 5th March: Day 1, games kick off at 10:00am
Friday 6th March: Day 2, games start at 10:00am. Men of League All Stars versus Runaway Bay Old Boys on Field 1 at 4:00pm
Saturday 7th March: Day 3, games start at 10:00am and Final Dinner