The Tamborine Mountain Bushrats will celebrate their rich history when they contest the annual Steve Hargreaves Cup against the Parkwood Sharks on July 4.
The cup honours club founding member, premiership-winning captain and community figure Steve Hargreaves.
Hargreaves was part of the Bushrats’ inaugural season in 1995 and captained the club to its first premiership in 1996.
He later led the side to further success in Brisbane and Gold Coast competitions while also coaching, mentoring junior players and helping shape the club’s identity during its formative years.
Current Bushrats coach Todd Tasker said the annual fixture was about more than just the result on the scoreboard.
“Steve’s a big part of the history of the club,” Tasker said.
“Being the first captain to take the Bushrats to a grand final win, it’s good to lean into that history and it gives the boys something to play for.”
Tasker said the occasion brought extra energy to the club each season.
“We tend to get a big crowd,” he said.
“Everyone’s enjoying it from not only the boys’ perspective but the club and the community. It’s something that we all enjoy.”
The Bushrats enter the match in solid form following a strong start to the season and a recent big win over Jimboomba.
Tasker said the squad was looking forward to the challenge of defending the club’s home ground and competing for the trophy.
For Hargreaves, seeing the annual cup continue remains a source of pride, although he is quick to redirect attention to the wider club community that helped establish the Bushrats.
“I’d certainly prefer the reference to be more about the Bushrats and the team,” Hargreaves said.
“I’m very humbled that it’s called the Steve Hargreaves Cup. It could have been called after any number of people who were involved back then.”
A police officer on Tamborine Mountain from 1993 until his retirement from the Queensland Police Service in 2022, Hargreaves said the club was built by people from all walks of life who shared a passion for rugby league and community.
“It was a unique football team because they were men from all avenues of life,” he said.
“I love what the club is doing. From a personal point of view, I love it for all the benefits it provides for a community.”
Hargreaves said sport played an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local connections.
“People that were engaged in sport were generally living as a community should,” he said.
The Steve Hargreaves Cup kicks off at Tamborine Mountain on July 4, with the Bushrats looking to add another chapter to a club history that Hargreaves helped create more than three decades ago.
