The Canberra Raiders will help remember the 20th anniversary of the 1996 Townsville Blackhawk tragedy, by wearing black arm bands and using jersey number 18 against the Broncos on Thursday night in Brisbane.
This Sunday (June 12) marks the 20 year anniversary of the tragedy, where 18 service personnel lost their lives during a training exercise in Townsville, when two Blackhawk helicopters collided.
Sia Soliola will jersey number 18 instead of jersey number 15, while the Raiders NRL team will wear black armbands during the match as a mark of respect to those 18 service personnel who lost their lives on June 12, 1996.
Being based in Canberra, the Raiders have strong ties to the service community and have current staff members who have served previously. The club wishes to pay respects to service personnel both past and present.
