The much-anticipated Rugby League carnival, the Annual Bowen Tens, will be played at Denison Park in Bowen on Saturday.
Sponsored mainly by Whitsunday Civil, the day brings much needed funds to the Bowen Seagulls Junior League with various charities also benefitting.
A number of Bowen charities have been the recipients of money from the Bowen Tens.
This year, the main recipient will be Kids Connecting Parents.
Burdekin teams have supported the day since it was first introduced in 2012 with the Charity that year Cancer Research.
The Burdekin Old Boys made themselves a popular team by donating half the prize money they received for winning that year to the charity and it continued on with several other Burdekin teams doing the same thing.
This year, 14 men’s teams and six women’s team will contest the games for the cash and trophies donated by Kincove for the men and Abbot Point for the women.
The Burdekin will again be represented by Runamuck in the women, a group of ladies mainly from the Burdekin Hens led by the Monday sisters whose style of play will suit this format.
They will be joined by Bowen teams Boonti Busters and Bowen Bush Chooks.
Carlton from Mackay will again be playing with Townsville team Norths Devils.
The sixth team is an unknown group called Darlz Warriors but they are expected to be strong.
Three men’s teams will represent the Burdkein: Runamuck, Runamuck 10 and Fiji Time.
Fiji Time are the defending champions and they alone will bring spectators just to see their exciting brand of football.
Matches are played over two ten-minute halves on two fields at Denison Park with a two-minute half time and thirty seconds between games.
Timing is done from a central time piece.
The first games get under way at 8am with the final of the men expected about 8pm, giving some 12 hours of non-stop footy
Food and drink will be sold on the grounds and there are some big raffles taking place all for a $5 entry fee.
The player scoring a try then attempts to convert with a drop kick before the player’s team restarts.
It all makes for speed and excitement.
Teams of no more than 20 players with ten on the field at any one time come from several centres around the north as it is not only a good bonding weekend, it is also very good for pre-season fitness.
A four-person relay is also held between teams with the referees at times having a team and they have been successful in the past.
Bowen is well represented with at least 8 teams while the Moranbah Miners and Carlton Devils play in the Mackay League.
Some Townsville teams have supported the Carnival in the past with this year the Norths Devils women making the trip.
This will be the first time the Cardwell Axemen will try their luck although Herbert River have been there before.
Contributed by Brian Carnes
