LAST Saturday night I attended the Redlands Sports Hall of Fame event, and what struck me wasn’t just the number of nominations for the 10 categories, but the feeling around knowing they were an Olympic city for 2032 and what that meant to everybody in the room – pride.
Pride in achievements, pride in community and pride in the people who had helped put their region on the sporting map.
It got me thinking: Ipswich needs a Sports Hall of Fame of its own.
And while we’re doing it, let’s make it something special. Because when it comes to sport, Ipswich has always punched above its weight.
In fact, most would argue, and they’d be right, that we’ve done it bigger and better for generations.
Our sporting story is extraordinary – Ipswich talent has taken to the NRL field for more than 2000 games, won 15 Grand Slam titles, collected more than 10 Olympic medals in the pool and broken countless records on national and international stages.
These aren’t just statistics but they’re stories of dedication, sacrifice, resilience and achievement.
They’re stories that deserve to be told, celebrated and remembered.
But a Hall of Fame must be about more than elite athletes and famous names.
Behind all champions are coaches who inspired them, officials who upheld the game, and volunteers who turned up week after week.
It’s now time to give that legacy a home.
