Energy solution company Bravus Australia has strengthened its long-running collaboration with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys ahead of the 2027 season.
Bravus’ branding for its coal mining and rail freight businesses will appear on the sleeve of the NRL Women’s (NRLW) jersey for the first time. The branding will also feature on the men’s jerseys, continuing the company’s association with the club since 2019.
The company is also introducing a new Bravus Home Ground program in collaboration with the Cowboys to support grassroots rugby league in regional Queensland.
As part of the company’s commitment to drive social, economic, and community benefits in regional Queensland through this partnership, Bravus CEO Mick Crowe said the move was a ‘natural next step’.
“We’ve been backing the Cowboys for a long time now, and we’ve always said we’re for all of regional Queensland, not just half of it,” Crowe says.
“Until recently the NRL controlled the sponsorship on the women’s jersey sleeve, so it wasn’t something the club could offer. That’s changed and, honestly, it was a pretty easy decision for us.
“We support the whole Club and from 2027 you’ll see the Bravus name on the sleeve of the Cowboys NRLW jersey, just as you do on the men’s jersey.”
Bravus first featured on the Cowboys’ NRL jersey in 2021 as Bravus Mining and Resources. Branding has since evolved to represent the broader parent company and its rail, port, and renewables operations.
Through its involvement with the NRL and NRLW club, Crowe says the partnership is reflective of both Bravus and the Cowboys being region-wide, rather than holding a singular town focus.
“The Cowboys don’t belong to one town, they belong to regional Queensland. That’s pretty similar to us,” Crowe adds.
“Our people live and work right across the region and the club brings those communities together in a way few organisations can. That’s why this partnership has always made sense.
“Most people will see the logo on the sleeve and that’s great, but that’s not really the point.
“What that’ll do is help junior rugby league clubs across regional Queensland and recognise the people who keep local footy alive. Those people don’t do it for recognition, they do it because they care about their club and their community, and we think that’s worth celebrating.”
Guiding the herd to a new grazing area
Bravus welcomed Cowboys NRLW players and coaching staff to its Carmichael mine in the Galilee Basin, located around 160km away from the town of Clermont.
Players and staff attended the site to learn more about Bravus’ mining and rail operations, while making connections across both organisations.
Cowboys NRLW Head Coach Ricky Henry says by visiting the site, Cowboys players and staff gained valuable insight into “one of the region’s largest employers and an organisation that shares many of the same values as the club”.
“The operation, the scale of it, and the people involved were really impressive,” Henry says.
“There are also a lot of similarities between what Bravus does and what we do as a football team. Courage, trust, and commitment are important values for us and they’re important in a workplace like this as well.”
Cowboys NRLW second-row and lock forward Bree Chester said seeing the operation firsthand had given the group a greater appreciation of the people and industries that support regional Queensland.
“Probably what stood out most was just how large everything was,” Chester says.
“There are so many people involved and so much going on. It’s a lot bigger than I was expecting.
“It’s really special to have that partnership with Bravus and to have them on our sleeve. Knowing they’re right behind us means a lot to the whole playing group.”
Reeling the reins on mining and rugby league
This collaboration between mining and rugby league is nothing new for the NRL.
Earlier this year, a fellow Queensland team joined forces with a mining giant to promote sustainability.
As reported, former premiers the Brisbane Broncos (ASX:BBL) teamed up with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) in April to integrate recyclable bottles made from the latter’s aluminium supply in order to reduce plastic waste in the 2026 season.
When presenting the partnership, Rio Tinto General Manager for Bauxite and Alumina Tim McDougall explained that by showcasing how aluminium materials can be used in real-world settings, sport is providing a “powerful platform to inspire change.”
This partnership was revealed ahead of the Queensland Derby, a round where the NRL’s longest-running Queensland teams went head-to-head at Suncorp Stadium — a showdown between the Broncos and the Cowboys.
The significance of this round in the 2026 season also reflected Queensland’s resources sector, with Rio Tinto’s Gladstone operations contributing around 3.7 million tonnes of alumina each year since 1967.
With annual production rates this high, Rio Tinto states that Queensland Alumina is one of the world’s largest alumina refineries.
Queensland Alumina is a joint venture (JV) owned 80% by Rio Tinto and 20% by Rusal.
The adjacent Boyne Smelters — Australia’s second-largest aluminium smelter — is a JV between Rio Tinto (73.5%), YKK Aluminium (9.50%), UACJ Australia (FRA:F4M) (9.29%), and Southern Cross Aluminium (7.71%).
Since 2018, Queensland Alumina has invested more than $480 million through its environmental strategy, developed to improve the operation’s environmental performance, including air quality, odour, noise, employee culture, and land and water management.
Where the NRL greats go
After achieving great heights in their NRL careers, many rugby league superstars then go underground — well, not quite underground.
Jobs for Mining Communities (JMC) is an advocacy body focused on promoting Australia’s industrial strength by highlighting mining’s role in providing economic prosperity.
JMC is headed by former NRL superstar Darren Lockyer and Grant Wechsel, who are co-owners of the London Broncos — a professional rugby league club based out of Wimbledon in south London, England.
In order to promote the benefits of mining jobs, JMC brought together a lineup of NRL players. Many of these representatives grew up in and around mining towns in Queensland, including Harry Grant, Ben Hunt, Tamika Upton, and Corey Oates.
Following the star-studded JMC campaign, Founder and Managing Director Grant Wechsel says the organisation intends to promote the interests of those living in mining communities by advocating for job creation, economic development, and investment.
“What’s important for us is that the broader public understands this and realises that without mining jobs, many of our major regional centres would be severely impacted, and our smaller mining communities simply wouldn’t exist,” Wechsel says.
Australia’s mining industry directly employs around 90,000 people in Queensland alone, along with 314,500 people across the country.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Main Image: Bravus Australia
