Sport
21 February, 2026
State of Origin shield travels the Far North
NORTH Queensland Cowboys second-row forward Jeremiah Nanai kicked off the Maroons road trip and Origin shield tour in Cairns last Sunday.
The Queensland Rugby League event was held at Jones Park, Westcourt, with a registration opening before a JRL Clinic ran from 4pm to 5pm.
Nanai joined QRL staff for the first leg of the Maroons road trip in partnership with Ford, with the State of Origin Shield travelling alongside the tour.
The Cairns stop marked the beginning of a week-long trip across North Queensland, with select talents appearing at Queensland stops throughout the week to meet fans, run clinics and share their love of the game.
The 2026 Ford x Maroons road trip will travel from Cairns to Mareeba, Mount Garnet, Mount Surprise, Georgetown, Charters Towers and Townsville.
In Mareeba, the tour visited Davies Park last Monday for another JRL clinic with the local junior club.
School visits were held in Mount Garnet, Mount Surprise and Georgetown on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 February.
The road trip heads to Bill Lewis Oval in Charters Towers today from 3.30pm to 5pm, teaming up with the Charters Towers Miners for a community afternoon featuring junior rugby league sign-ons, a JRL clinic, shield photo opportunities and Maroons merchandise.
The final stop will be at Neil Stewart Park in Townsville on Saturday 21 February from 3.30pm to 5pm.
The Maroons Road Trip forms part of Queensland Rugby League’s community engagement program, bringing players and the State of Origin shield to regional centres across the north.
