Central Queensland Capras
Club information
Full nameCentral Queensland Capras
Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)Capras
Colours  Blue
  Maroon
  White
Founded1996 (1996)
Current details
Ground(s)
CEOPeter White
CoachLionel Harbin
CaptainJack Madden
CompetitionHostplus Cup
2023 season4th
Records
Premierships (2nd grade)None
Runners-up (2nd grade)None
Minor premierships (2nd grade)None
Wooden spoons (2nd grade)6 (2005, 2007, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
Most capped238 – Guy Williams
Highest points scorer542 – Nat Bowman

The Central Queensland Capras are a semi-professional rugby league football club primarily based in Rockhampton, Queensland and representing Central Queensland.[1] They play in the Hostplus Cup in Queensland, which is a second-tier competition in Australia. Since 2023, they are one of the feeder clubs for the Dolphins in the Australian National Rugby League. [2]

The club was founded in 1996 under the name Central Capras but changed to the Central Comets in 2000 and renamed the Central Queensland Capras in 2011.

History

Scrum. Easts vs Capras. Intrust Super Cup. Langlands Park, 18 April 2015

In the 1980s, the Central Queensland Capras had entered a team in the Queensland Winfield State League Competition. Their colours at that time were sky blue and maroon. In 1996 the Queensland Rugby League Central Division entered a representative team, the Central Capras in the inaugural Queensland Cup competition. The costs were too expensive for the Central Division to maintain, and in October 1998 it was decided that a private club should be entered into the Queensland Cup. Although this team was known as the Central Capras in 1999, it was decided to rename the team to the Central Comets to avoid confusion with the Capras representative teams.

For the 1999 season, the Capras Rugby League Football Club was formed, which relieved the Central Division of the cost, providing more funds to the Central Division to develop and maintain Rugby League in Central Queensland.

In 2000, the Capras team that participated in the Queensland Cup changed their name to the Comets Rugby League Football Club. With a new name and fresh look, the Comets represented the top level of football in Central Queensland for six years.

In 2002 the Comets formed an alignment with NRL team North Queensland Cowboys. This close alignment provided opportunities for development of the Comets Rugby League Football Club, as well as providing opportunities and pathways for players to the NRL.

In late 2007, the Comets ceased their alignment with the Cowboys and formed an alignment with the Brisbane Broncos. The arrangement with the Broncos saw NRL-contracted players that are not named in the weekly Broncos side return to their home region and play for the Comets. Dave Taylor, PJ Marsh, Tommy Hewitt, Ben Hunt and Guy Williams all played for the Comets while being contracted to the Broncos.

The alignment with the Broncos also allowed Comets players to experience what it is like to train in a NRL environment. Through this arrangement, Aaron Summers, Jade Williams, Ty Haynes and Ian Webster got the opportunity to develop their skills under Broncos coach Ivan Henjak by training with the Broncos once a week during the 2010 preseason.

2009 was a particularly successful season for the Central Comets. During the season, the Comets side set a club record winning 10 matches in a row during the season and made the finals for the first time. The Comets finished the season in third place after beating eventual winners the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles in the first semi-final but losing out to the Northern Pride in the major semi-final.[3]

Following the completion of the 2011 Intrust Super Cup the club entered into a rebuilding phase with a new executive committee taking control led by local business Steve McCosker. Approached by club stakeholders, McCosker replaced Scott Chapman as chairman of the executive committee. The Comets hit financial problems during 2011 with the club struggling to pay players wages but following a pitch from Comets officials the Rockhampton Leagues Club agreed to provide additional funds on top of the $200,000 they already provide through sponsorship to the Comets.[4][5] Motivated by the rich history of Central Queensland rugby league the new committee reverted the name of the club back to the Central Queensland Capras. The Capras is still the name used for all Representative sides from Central Queensland and according to Chairman Steve McCosker "The Capra symbolises Central Queensland and much of (the sport's) history".[6]

After finishing last in four of the next nine seasons - including the incompleted 2020 season, cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Capras returned to the finals of the Queensland Cup in 2022, winning an elimination final against the Northern Pride at Browne Park.[7] They were eliminated in the semi-final stage, two weeks short of the grand final, losing to the Burleigh Bears.[8]

QRLW team

In 2019, it was announced that a women's Central Queensland Capras team would enter the inaugural QRL Women's Premiership competition in 2020, known as the BHP Premiership.[9] The season was scheduled to consist of eight rounds, with eight clubs competing including six existing South East Queensland Division 1 teams in addition to the new entries of the Central Queensland Capras and the North Queensland Gold Stars.[10]

Coached by Amanda Ohl, the Capras' first trial game was held on 15 February 2020 at Browne Park against Souths Logan Magpies, where they were defeated, 16-4.[11] In the opening round of the 2020 QRLW competition, the Capras defeated the Brisbane Tigers, 14-6, at Langlands Park in Brisbane on 15 March 2020.[12] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the remaining rounds were cancelled.[13][14]

In 2021, the Capras played their first game of the new seven-round QRLW season at Frank Lind Oval in Brisbane on 10 April 2021 where they beat the Wests Panthers, 26-16.[15] They lost their next five games and failed to make the finals, but they finished the season with a 56-6 win against the Valkyries at Browne Park on 23 May 2021.[16][17]

The 2022 season proved to be particularly successful for the Capras, finishing minor premiers[18] and qualifying for their first grand final. The game, played at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe, resulted in a 12-14 loss to the North Queensland Gold Stars, who scored the winning try in the final minute of the game.[19]

Although the side is based in Rockhampton, many of the players travel long distances from around the state for their home games at Browne Park.[20]

Players

Records

Most Games for Club

  • 238, Guy Williams
  • 150, Heath Egglestone
  • 136, Dallas Williams
  • 128, Gavin Hiscox
  • 127, Mick Esdale

Most Points for Club

Most Tries for Club

Seasons

Central Queensland Capras
Year Pld W D L PF PA Pos Playoffs / Notes
19961570830933611/16
1997 18 10 2 6 455 398 6/14 Semi finalists (L 10-38 v Wests Panthers)
1998 22 8 0 14 497 701 11/16
1999 22 4 0 18 440 626 11/12
2000 22 10 1 11 529 550 8/12
2001 20 7 3 10 468 517 7/11
2002 22 4 1 17 434 814 9/12
2003 22 7 0 15 466 749 10/12
2004 22 8 0 14 566 705 9/12
2005 20 1 2 17 346 829 11/11
2006 20 7 1 12 409 560 8/11
2007 20 2 0 18 310 666 11/11
2008 20 7 0 13 404 595 10/11
2009 22 13 0 9 508 499 3/12 Preliminary finalists (W 21-14 v Sunshine Coast, L 10-22 v Northern Pride)
2010 22 6 0 16 415 624 10/12
2011 22 7 0 15 425 634 11/12
2012 22 6 0 16 432 743 10/12 Club renamed Central Queensland Capras
2013 22 7 1 14 462 569 10/12
2014 24 3 2 19 321 557 12/13
2015 23 1 0 22 324 866 14/14
2016 23 7 0 16 436 756 12/14
2017 23 4 1 18 412 685 13/14
2018 23 7 0 16 390 576 13/14
2019 23 1 1 21 318 820 14/14
2020 1 0 0 1 4 44 14/14 Season cancelled on 27 March due to 2019-20 Coronavirus Pandemic[21]
2021 17 1 2 14 303 503 14/14
2022 19 11 1 7 472 394 5/14 Semi finalists (W 30-22 v Northern Pride, L 16-32 v Burleigh Bears)
2023 22 12 2 6 511 387 4/14 Preliminary Finalists (L 14-6 Brisbane Tigers)
2024

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ "CQ Capras History - Central Queensland Capras". capras.com.au. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
    2. ↑ "'Wonderful Christmas present': Central Queensland sees pathway to NRL with new partners Redcliffe Dolphins". ABC News. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
    3. ↑ "History of the Comets | the Central Queensland Comets". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
    4. ↑ Wratten, Adam. "Comets face cash crisis". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
    5. ↑ Wratten, Adam. "Leagues club to support Comets". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
    6. ↑ Wratten, Adam. "Back to the future". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
    7. ↑ "Capras v Pride". Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
    8. ↑ "Bears v Capras". Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
    9. ↑ McKay, Pam (17 December 2019). "CQ Capras women to play in new statewide comp". The Morning Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    10. ↑ Edwards, Colleen (17 December 2019). "Teams to contest new QRLW competition locked in". qrl.com.au. Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    11. ↑ McKay, Pam (16 February 2020). "'One training run and we pulled off that kind of effort'". The Morning Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    12. ↑ McKay, Pam (16 March 2021). "Who shone for Capras women in their first win". The Morning Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    13. ↑ McKay, Pam (20 March 2020). "Heartbreak for Capras women". The Morning Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    14. ↑ "DRAW: BHP Premiership (2020, Capras)". qrl.com.au. Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    15. ↑ McKay, Pam (16 March 2021). "Who shone for Capras women in their first win". The Morning Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    16. ↑ McKay, Pam (24 May 2021). "Shock announcement from Capras women's skipper". The Morning Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    17. ↑ "DRAW: BHP Premiership (2021, Capras)". qrl.com.au. Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    18. ↑ "Ladder". Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
    19. ↑ "Capras v Stars". Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
    20. ↑ Jurss-Lewis, Tobias (30 May 2021). "Elite women's rugby league team travels 4,000km to play 'home' game". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    21. ↑ "Major second-tier competitions cancelled across Australia - QRL". Queensland Rugby League. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
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