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One of the biggest rural epicentres in the Wide Bay–Burnett region has rebranded itself today, with a town motto for fitting for its rough and tumble character.
Despite being famous for hosting one of the friendliest country music festivals in Australia, the town of Gympie is also known for it’s rather punchy reputation in the tourist off-season.
The town’s ‘throw-first-ask-questions-later’ attitude was on display for all last Wednesday after local export Big Tino Fa’asuamaleaui let a few fly when he went full Gympie during a melee with his New South Wales rival Payne Haas.
As was reported last week, this now iconic State Of Origin scrap provided those that did not already know with some helpful insight into how this little blockie gets down when shit pops off inside the pubs at his wild hometown 160km north of Brisbane.
Fa’asuamaleaui, also known as ‘The Bush Uce’ or ‘The Pride Of Gympie’ or more simply ‘Big Tino’ has now played a major part in the town’s new opening ceremony.
The NRL prodigy was in town with bells on for the ribbon cutting ceremony on the new welcome sign yesterday.
‘WELCOME TO GYMPIE – fuck around and find out’ reads the new billboard, which has already been littered with .303 bullet holes since it was erected 24 hours ago.
To ensure he remained safe within the NRL quarantine bubble before the last match of the season this Wednesday, Fa’asuamaleaui was forced to stay in his parked car next to the event and reached out the window with a pir of scissors to cut the ribbon.
At time of press, Big Tino was seen driving back down the Bruce Highway in his 2016 Maloo with Roy Jones Junior’s ‘Can’t Be Touched’ blaring through the woofer.
Game III will take place at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night in front of a full-capacity colosseum of Maroon fans.
MORE TO COME.
