President’s Welcome Message

On behalf of Whitsunday Junior Rugby Union, it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the 2026 Viking Cup 10s presented by Community Bank Cannonvale–Proserpine.

The Viking Cup 10s continues to grow and evolve, and this year marks another exciting step forward. For the first time, the carnival expands from two days to three, bringing together even more players, teams, families and supporters from across Queensland and beyond.

We’re also excited to introduce exhibition matches for Women’s Rugby and Masters Men, adding another dimension to the carnival and showcasing the fact that rugby truly is a game for everyone.

And we’re already looking ahead. In 2027, we intend to expand again, with direct marketing to interstate and international clubs, along with a larger Masters competition. Excitingly, we already have our first New Zealand team confirmed for 2027 — a fantastic milestone for the Viking Cup 10s and a sign of where this event is heading.

This growth would not be possible without the support of our partners. We are incredibly grateful to have received grant funding this year from Tourism & Events Queensland and Whitsunday Regional Council, and to have Community Bank Cannonvale–Proserpine supporting the event as our Presenting Partner.

Their support is helping us continue to grow the Viking Cup 10s presented by Community Bank Cannonvale–Proserpine into an event that showcases not only grassroots rugby, but also our wonderful Whitsunday region.

We are also very proud to support our 2026 charity partners, Ronald McDonald House North Australia and FightMND.

These organisations are particularly close to our hearts. Over the past 12 months, members of our Whitsunday Raiders family have directly benefited from the incredible support they provide. We hope everyone attending the Viking Cup 10s will get behind them across the three days and help us give something back to two organisations that have given so much to our own community.

One of the biggest challenges in delivering a carnival of this size is securing enough match officials. Quite simply, no match officials means no rugby.

This year we have introduced a new approach, with participating teams contributing to match official allocations throughout the carnival. We are extremely grateful to every club, team, coach and volunteer who has embraced this concept.

Importantly, we see this as much more than simply filling refereeing appointments. The Viking Cup 10s should be a place where we develop not only young rugby players, but also the next generation of referees and match officials. It is exciting to know that across these three days, many young people will be gaining valuable experience with the whistle or touch flag in hand.

As always, I’d like to thank our hardworking committee, volunteers, referees, coaches, managers, sponsors and partners. Events of this scale simply do not happen without an enormous amount of work behind the scenes.

To the players — play hard, play fair and enjoy every moment.

To the coaches, families and supporters — thank you for making the journey to Airlie Beach and for helping us create the welcoming, positive and festive atmosphere that makes the Viking Cup 10s so special.

We hope you enjoy three fantastic days of rugby, make some lifelong memories and take the opportunity to enjoy everything the Whitsundays has to offer.

Play Hard. Holiday Harder.