The Northern Pride RLFC

The Skill360 Northern Pride is a not-for-profit Rugby League Football Club that exists to provide opportunities and pathways to locals to progress to the elite level from their own doorstep. Although the club is only in its fourth year of operations it is widely recognized throughout the League as the most professionally run club.

Of the 28 contracted Northern Pride players in 2012 there are 26 (93%) who are originally from North Queensland. In the 2010 Premiership winning team 15 of the 17 players for the Pride were local North Queenslanders. We truly are ‘Born & Bred‘.

In only four years of operation the Pride have been extremely competitive finishing 3rd in 2008 (Golden Point Extra Time in the Preliminary Final), 2nd in 2009, 1st in 2010 and 3rd in 2011. We’ve also had two coaches move into Assistant Coaching roles at NRL Clubs, 18 Academy Players sign deals with NRL Clubs, had 26 Queensland Representatives (U16s to Q Cup), 3 International Representatives and 9 Pride contracted players play NRL games.

As well as the football side of the operations the Northern Pride have a community program the “Take Pride Program” which does a range of work using Rugby League as the vehicle to provide outcomes in the local region across education, employment, health & wellbeing and sport. To date this has been a very successful program and will continue to grow in 2012.

The Pride and Take Pride Program administration are based at Barlow Park, Cairns (Moore Family Sports House). The Northern Pride team trains and plays at Barlow Park (cnr of Scott & Spence Sts, Cairns).

The Pride are totally locally focused in all aspects of operations from players to staff to sponsors to management to community initiatives.