Toyota right behind North
Queensland league

The North Queensland Toyota Dealers and the QRL Northern Division are pleased to announce Toyota as the new naming rights sponsor of the Toyota Foley Shield Competition for a minimum of two years beginning in the 2005 season. This investment from the North Queensland Toyota Dealers will effectively guarantee the future of this great competition. Toyota is pleased to be involved in the Foley Shield competition as it is a direct link with their current investment with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys. Toyota and its local North Queensland Toyota Dealers are great supporters of rugby league and sponsoring the Foley Shield is another way that they can cement their current association with the Toyota Cowboys while also contributing back to the local North Queensland region.

Bob Newsome the Executive Officer of the QRL Northern Division said, "The support from the North Queensland Toyota Dealers will help keep the Foley Shield competition as the pinnacle of representative football in North Queensland. It also shows their dedication to rugby league at all levels in North Queensland".

Darren West from Don West Toyota in Ayr on behalf of the North Queensland Toyota Dealers said, "Each individual NQ Toyota Dealer enjoys rugby league so we want to do as much as possible to ensure rugby league continues to flourish at all levels throughout North Queensland. It is also a great way to support local players who may be able to take that next step into the NRL".

The Toyota Foley Shield Competition will be played between Mackay, Townsville and Cairns, with the final being held at the Townsville Sports Reserve on Sunday 31 July 2005. The first game will be Townsville v Cairns in Gordonvale on 26 March 2005. All games will consist of Under 17, Under 19 and A grade teams.

Mt Isa will not participate this year but will instead take part in a Toyota Outback Carnival to be held in Mt Isa on 28/29 May 2005. This will consist of teams from Mt Isa, Mid West, Central West and South West.

Foley Shield is an important stepping stone not only for A grade players but just as importantly for aspiring Under 17 and under 19 players who hope to make the grade in the NRL in years to come. In the past there have been numerous occasions that Foley Shield players have been used by the Toyota Young Guns in the Queensland Cup such as Stuart Cruickshank and Victor Akiba during the 2004 season.

Toyota's sponsorship further cements the relationship between the QRL Northern Division and the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys as the one sponsor will be supporting rugby league at all levels in North Queensland.

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The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys and their Principal Sponsor, the North Queensland Toyota Dealers, are continuing their support for junior rugby league in North Queensland, the base from which our future Toyota Cowboys will be developed. The North Queensland Toyota Dealers are currently arranging an order of 6,500 training t-shirts to be distributed to every junior rugby league player throughout North Queensland for the 2005 season. These shirts will then be used to encourage kids from the age of U/7's through to U/17's to sign up for rugby league and receive a free training shirt on behalf of the North Queensland Toyota Dealers.

This is a huge investment across North Queensland for junior rugby league and it is an initiative that the North Queensland Toyota Dealers believe will help link the Toyota Cowboys with every junior rugby league player in North Queensland.

The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys plan to distribute these training shirts with the assistance of each local Toyota Dealer at the beginning of the 2005 season by combining their distribution with trial games and activities that are occurring throughout North Queensland early next year.

Outlined below are some dates that the Toyota Cowboys would like to encourage all North Queensland junior rugby league clubs to consider when planning their 'official sign on days' or coaching clinics that the Toyota Cowboys would like to support in these local areas:

? Toyota Young Guns v Atherton Roosters in Atherton, February 5, 2005 for the E.J.R.L. ? Toyota Cowboys v Sharks in Mackay, February 19, 2005 for the M.D.J.R.L. ? Toyota Cowboys v Storm in Cairns, February 25, 2005 for the C.D.J.R.L. and I.D.J.R.L. ? Toyota Cowboys Public Launch, March 5 ? 6, 2005 for T.D.J.R.L.

These dates will see the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys cover nearly all of North Queensland with a visit to Mt Isa also planned for the beginning of 2005.

The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have also held discussions with the Northern Division of the QRL and will be working together over the coming months to organise some events that the Toyota Cowboys can help support to increase the number of junior rugby league players in the North Queensland area.

The Toyota Cowboys would like to thank the North Queensland Toyota Dealers for their great support of the club and rugby league at every level throughout North Queensland. This is a huge investment and the Toyota Cowboys would encourage everyone in North Queensland to support their local Toyota Dealer who is supporting rugby league in your local area.

Your local North Queensland Toyota Dealers are located at: John Cole Toyota - Atherton and Innisfail, Mareeba Toyota, Pacific Toyota ? Cairns, Bartrac Pty Ltd ? Tully, Ingham Toyota, Mike Carney Toyota ? Townsville, Paul Carney Motors ? Charters Towers, Julia Creek Motors, Bell & Moir Toyota ? Mt Isa, Don West Toyota ? Ayr, Filby's Motors ? Bowen and Proserpine and Mackay Toyota.