The Norths Trophy Drought is Over...Sevens Heaven for High-Flying Eagles

Harry Langbridge wasn’t even born when Norths last won a first grade trophy which tells you something about the drought that has just broken.

There will be rejoicing at the Eagles’ 15-10 extra-time upset of Bond University in the final of the Queensland State 7s at Ballymore on Sunday.

That’s certainly the case at Norths HQ at Courtney Oval where the cupboard has been bare of silverware for an eternity.

The club last won the Hospital Cup as Teachers-Norths in 1976 when Donald Trump was a brash young entrepreneur without need for an instruction manual to prepare his hair.

It was all in the hair at Ballymore with two mighty mullets to the fore.

Playmaker Langbridge, elusive and creative all weekend, found younger brother Leo on the outside. Try!

Leo added plenty of sauce with an exaggerated dive. Victory was sweet, not just for the players but for club stalwarts as news of the victory spread.

“It’s a great feeling. There’s been a big roll-on effect from better results in the Hospital Cup this season,” said Harry, who has made Norths his home since moving from Noosa Dolphins.

“With winning comes a bit of confidence and everyone knows you enjoy winning a lot more than losing.

“We’ve also had a bit of continuity during this sevens series to roll on with pretty similar teams each week.

“It was a shocking dive from Leo…he landed knees first but we’ll take it.”

The Norths players almost looked shocked when the State 7s Cup also came with the Stannard Shield for the one-off victory. Two trophies at once.

The pickings have been slim for the club, so full of heart, desire and a core of willing workers but with losing as an artform for decades.

A Normanby Cup premiership in subbies from Friday night footy in 2010 and a title from Daniel Thompson’s fourth graders in 2014 are the club’s most recent trophies.

You have to go back to 1976 to find the last first grade premiership won by the club when it was Teachers-Norths.

Bond Uni had beaten Norths well in Saturday’s preliminaries so the Eagles were definite underdogs for the final.

When Norths led 10-5 and the Bull Sharks were on attack in the closing minutes you sensed another noble defeat was on the cards.

Centre Jack Peoples was a standout all weekend as was the elusive Hamish Muir. When Peoples pulled down a Bond attacker heading for a try under the posts, it was a try-saver of enormous importance.

A score under the posts would have been game over. Bond did score later in that passage of play but in the corner. A missed conversion sent the final to golden point at 10-all.

It was the final game for Norths for Peoples before he heads to the Hunter Wildfires for the 2025 Shute Shield.

“It’s definitely a top feeling to get a result in this Norths jersey after three years at the club,” Peoples said.

“The young guys coming through are a real positive to keep the club going forward with more success. Hamish was all over the park.”

Bond University completed a three-peat in the Caslick Cup as Queensland State 7s champions with a clearcut 26-10 win over University of Queensland in the final.

When Queensland Reds ace Mel Wilks put on some footwork and dashed 65m for a try, “The Milkman” had all but delivered the title at 19-0 on half-time.

Taleah Ackland’s try late in the game was too little too late for UQ.

Bond tryscorer Zoe Hanna reflected on the club setting the bar so high in sevens and being the hunted at every tournament.

“I feel like each year teams keep improving but we improve as well,” Hanna said.

“We’re all in it playing for fun and to play some good footy.

“Mel was phenomenal. That’s how she plays.

“Having young girls like Kaelyn Passi improving all the time really made a difference in this tournament and Faythe (Manera) was massive playing big minutes in every game.”

The quality of the fields at Ballymore really contributed. After the wet weather footy of Saturday, the fields were in perfect condition for Sunday’s long day thanks to the excellent drainage.

The quality of the women’s tournament was enhanced by timely recruits. NSW Next Gen 7s ace Amelia Whitaker was excellent for GPS.

In the losing semi-final against Bond, she made back-to-back trysaving tackles before scooting 70m for a try shortly after.

Girls U15s

1^st – Gold Coast and Districts Rugby Union

2^nd – Brisbane Junior Rugby Union

3^rd – Queensland Indigenous Program

4^th – Townsville and Districts Rugby Union

5^th – Sunshine Coast Rugby Union

6^th – CQ Bushrangers

7^th – Downs Rugby

8^th – FNQ Rugby

Player of the Tournament – TJ Murray (Gold Coast)

Girls U17s

1^st – Sunshine Coast Rugby Union

2^nd – Downs Rugby

3^rd – Queensland Indigenous Program

4^th – Brisbane Junior Rugby Union

5^th – Townsville and Districts Rugby Union

6^th – FNQ Rugby

7^th – Gold Coast and Districts Rugby Union

8^th – CQ Bushrangers

Player of the Tournament – Laura-May McGovern (Sunshine Coast)

Boys U17

1^st – Gold Coast and Districts Rugby Union

2^nd – Sunshine Coast Rugby Union

3^rd – Brisbane Junior Rugby Union

4^th – Downs Rugby

5^th – Townsville and Districts Rugby Union

6^th – CQ Bushrangers

Player of the Tournament – Dylan Terblanche (Gold Coast)

State 7s Women and Caslick Cup

State 7s

1^st – Bond Uni (14)

2^nd – UQ (12)

3^rd – GPS (10)

4^th – Brothers (8)

5^th – Wests (6)

6^th – Sunnybank (4)

7^th – Easts (2)

8^th - Downs

9^th - CQ

Caslick Cup

1^st – Bond Uni (40)

2^nd – Wests (32)

=3^rd – GPS, UQ and Brothers (24)

6^th – Easts (14)

7^th – Sunnybank (10)

State 7s Men (Stannard Shield)

1^st – Norths

2^nd – Bond Uni

3^rd – UQ

4^th – Wests

5^th – Easts

6^th – Brothers

7^th – Sunnybank

8^th – CQ Bushrangers