Make medal-worthy Anzac clash stick: Reds skipper

A medal honouring fallen rugby-playing Anzac soldiers, killed on the same day in 1917, is the latest addition to a fixture pushing for permanency on the Super Rugby calendar.

The Queensland Reds and Auckland’s Blues will meet at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, marking the Reds’ first Anzac Day game since 1998.

Last year the teams played on Saturday and produced arguably the match of the season as the Blues came from behind to win 41-34 with an after-the-siren try.

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The Queensland Rugby Union this week unveiled a plaque honouring the 60 players that served their country during wartime and the 11 who died.

Flyhalf Billy Dixon, a bank clerk who played nine times for Queensland after debuting in 1908, was among them.

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Auckland hooker George Sellars was in the first New Zealand Maori tour to Australia in 1910.

He played two Tests for the All Blacks before enlisting.

Both men were killed during the Battle of Messines in Belgium and on Friday the player of the match will receive the Sellars Dixon Medal for the first time.

“It’s a really special addition. It’s great initiative shown by both the Queensland Rugby Union and the Blues,” Reds captain Tate McDermott said.

“Anzac Day is an incredibly special day for a number of reasons. Hopefully, we can bring people together and do our small part in showing what the Anzac spirit means.”

Anzac Day match-ups are well-established heavyweight fixtures on the NRL and AFL calendar and McDermott is urging rugby powerbrokers to follow suit.

“Any continuity … other sports have their big fixtures on Anzac Day and for this to be ongoing I think is great,” he said.

“Every game’s super important and you want to win it and this one, on Anzac Day is an extra bit of spice.”

The Reds (5-3) are coming off a bye and lost their two games before that, dropping from top spot on the ladder to fourth.

The Blues (3-6) romped to last year’s title and have found some form after a slow start to their defence to be on the cusp of a top-six return.

Modelled on the World War I Victory Medal, the Sellars Dixon Medal will be presented to the Player of the Match tomorrow evening.

Dalton Papali’i (ankle) and Caleb Clarke (thigh) will miss the clash for the Blues, while Beauden Barrett will come off the bench as he returns from illness.

Scrumhalf Finlay Christie has historically been a thorn in the Reds’ side, while Mark Tele’a, Rieko Ioane and Zarn Sullivan will provide the midfield and backline strike.

Fullback Jock Campbell will start for the first time this season for the Reds, who have nursed a hefty injury list all season.

“Look at what they did last year and players they’ve got in their side, they’re a class team,” McDermott said of his opponents.

“We’ve been disappointed with our last two results … it’s about how do we best arm ourselves to win those big moments.”