Wallabies legends backing Iona’s Rugby Heritage Cup campaign
Wallabies legends backing Iona’s Rugby Heritage Cup campaign
The legendary ‘voice of rugby’ Gordon Bray has thrown his support behind Iona College’s Rugby Heritage Cup campaign, narrating a special motivational video – that includes a cast of Wallabies greats – for Australia’s representatives in France.
Every nation competing at this year’s Rugby World Cup has nominated school-based boys and girls teams to compete in the tournament to celebrate the 200th anniversary of English student William Webb Ellis picking up a football and running with it at the Rugby School.
Iona College, from Lindum on Brisbane’s bayside, will represent Australia in the boys competition, and arrived in Paris on Thursday ahead of their pool matches against Argentina’s Old Resian Club, The Rugby School from England, and College de Pontlevoy (France) on Sunday (local time).
To help inspire the team before their matches, Iona produced a short video to celebrate their participation in this global event, with Australian legends and Rugby World Cup winners David Campese, Matt Burke, Toutai Kefu, Wallaroos star Grace Hamilton, and members of this year’s Wallabies World Cup squad sending messages of support.
For a generation of Australian sports fans, Bray’s commentary was as synonymous with Australian rugby as the gold of a Wallabies jersey.
His passionate and articulate commentary was the soundtrack to Australian Rugby’s golden era, and became forever linked with the Wallabies greatest moments in Test matches, Bledisloe Cup classics and World Cup triumphs.
When approached by Iona College to be the voice of another historic moment for the game with Iona’s participation in the inaugural Rugby Heritage Cup, Bray did not hesitate to lend his support – and refused any form of payment for his services to do so.
“I am just happy to be playing my part in what will hopefully be a successful tournament for Iona in Pontlevoy,” Bray said. “It is an amazing opportunity that these boys have been given to represent their country in rugby overseas, and I was happy to help.
“At the end of the day, it is for the love of rugby. That is what the tournament is celebrating, and I am happy that Iona asked me to be a part of this experience for the students.
“They are representing all of us as Australia’s team, and I wish them the very best of luck.”
The Hon Matt Keough MP also sent his best wishes – both as a former student of Iona’s Oblate brother school in Perth, Mazenod College, and in his role as Federal Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel.
Minister Keogh facilitated a visit for the Iona touring party to Villers-Bretonneux – the small village in northern France saved from invasion by the ANZACs in the First World War, a battle that resulted in the deaths of more than 2400 Australian soldiers.
ANZAC Day is celebrated there every year, and the local school still features a sign that says: ‘Never Forget Australia’.
This will be an unforgettable memory for Iona’s students on the trip of a lifetime in France.
Brisbane’s Stuartholme School will join Iona College at the Rugby Heritage Cup in the girls’ competition.
The Rugby Heritage Cup starts on Friday with the opening ceremony, and concludes with the finals on 7 September.
You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWSQNjSIgsU