Fans offered the chance to farewell Paul Green as public memorial confirmed

Fans of the late rugby league star and premiership-winning coach Paul Green will be offered a chance to farewell the iconic sports figure after Queensland Rugby League confirmed he would be honored with a public memorial.

Green passed away suddenly at the age of 49 on Thursday, August 11 in his Brisbane home.

Rumoured plans of a public farewell came to light after Green’s brother Rick discussed the heavy toll that his brother’s death had taken on his family.

“Everyone is feeling overwhelmed,” he told The Sunday Mail.

“As we reflect on those good times, there’s a great sadness at his passing. It’s still very raw and difficult to process.”

Rick briefly mentioned plans for a public farewell that would be “a celebration of the awesome life Paul lived and the wonderful things he did for people”.

Father Michael Twigg will join media presenters Pat Welsh and Jessica Yates to host the public farewell on the BMD Kougari Oval at Wynnum Manly Leagues Club on Tuesday, August 30 where the rugby league community are expected to join together to share treasured memories of Green and reflect on his contributions to the game.

Fans who wish to pay their respects to Green can reserve their place at the ceremony, via the Eventbrite registration platform, for a funeral service to be held between 11am and midday followed by a wake between 12.30pm and 1.15pm. Green’s family, friends, and colleagues will reportedly attend a private ceremony to bid farewell to Green.

Both the service and wake will be live-streamed on QRL.com.au.

Details locked in #QLDER #Unitedinmaroon https://t.co/rQ7EfAESuR

— Queensland Maroons (@QLDmaroons) August 18, 2022

Those attending Green’s farewell will no doubt celebrate his decorated playing career that included taking the field an incredible 162 times with a number of clubs which included the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels, and the Brisbane Broncos.

He also represented Queensland in seven State of Origin games and played two matches for the Australian Super League team in 1997.

Following Green’s impressive playing career he turned his attention toward coaching after his retirement, where he famously led the North Queensland Cowboys to their first Grand Final in a decade. The Cowboys went to win the final with a 17-16 win over the Brisbane Broncos. The monumental win made Green the first coach in history to defeat the Brisbane Broncos in a Grand Final.

Green was recently honoured publicly with a minute’s silence when two of Green’s former teams, the North Queensland Cowboys and the Sydney Roosters, faced off at the SCG on Saturday, August 13.

Following Saturday’s match, North Queensland Cowboys’ captain Jason Taumalolo spoke of how Green’s death “shocked and rattled” members of the team.

“There are no real words, really, to express what has happened over the last few days and how it has affected people in the rugby league community and families,” he said.

Green is survived by his wife Amanda and two children Emerson and Jed.

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