North Queensland athletes gain high performance support closer to home
The Townsville Regional Hub is the first site within the QAS Regional Hub pilot and will initially support up to 30 pre-elit...
From Townsville to the international rugby sevens stage, Layne Prince knows regional talent can go a long way. Now, a new QAS Regional Hub is bringing high performance opportunities closer to home.
For Layne Prince, chasing her sporting ambitions has often meant travelling south to train with athletes in the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) and Queensland Reds programs in Brisbane.
“Something I struggled with over the last couple of years is always travelling to get access to high performance support,” Prince said.
Now, with the launch of the QAS Regional Hub in Townsville, she’s seeing what a different pathway could look like.
Prince’s sporting journey began in touch football before she decided to give rugby sevens a go.
“Only about a year or a bit ago, I just thought I would try sevens for a change,” she said.
That decision opened the door to an international opportunity.
In 2026, Prince travelled to Japan with the Australia A women’s rugby sevens team, where she says winning gold became one of her proudest achievements.
Launched in October 2026 at the Townsville Sports Precinct, the Regional Hub is the first site in a 12-month QAS pilot designed to strengthen regional athlete pathways.
Initially supporting up to 30 pre-elite and categorised athletes, the Hub provides access to a high performance gym, dedicated strength and conditioning coaching and broader performance support.
For Prince, one of the first athletes involved, it means being able to pursue her sporting ambitions while staying connected to family, school and her community.
“With the regional hub up north I think it will be really good just so you feel like you’re at home and can still do your school work, be with your family and then also access that,” she said.
Talent lives everywhere. Opportunity should too.
While Prince has already experienced representing Australia overseas, she’s equally passionate about what the Hub could mean for the next generation.
“The regional hub will be good for the next generation especially teens around my age as there’s heaps of talent up North Queensland,” she said.
For Prince, the opportunity is about more than having high performance support closer to home. It’s about giving the next generation of North Queensland athletes a greater chance to pursue their potential.
Learn more about the QAS Regional Hub pilot.
