Fred Brophy brings the 'last of its kind' boxing tent to Nambour

Some of the action from a previous Nambour Crushers event: “Sometimes they get the better of us and sometimes we get the better of them”.

by Janine Hill

ROLL up, roll up, to the most Australian show on earth. Fred Brophy’s Boxing Troupe is coming to town.

The legendary boxing tent run by fourth generation Aussie showman Fred Brophy will return to Nambour on October 6 and 7 in a fundraising double-header for the Nambour Rugby League Club.

It will be the third time Fred has brought his tent to the club as a fundraiser and after touring to Townsville, Mt Isa, Cloncurry and Birdsville in the last six weeks, Fred is happy to be closer to home at Verrierdale.

Drumming up challengers. 

Fred Brophy loves coming to Nambour for the event at Crusher Park.

“This is the last one I do for the year they’re a great club – one of the best I do,” Fred said.

“We get a good roll-up there, they get a good cut, they get good challengers who put their hand up, and they get a good roll up from people from all around the area,” he said.

An appearance by the boxing troupe is quite a coupe for the Crushers.

Fred’s boxing troupe is the last of its kind in Australia and he said there was never a shortage of people wanting to take on one of his fighters, often just to be able to say they had done it. 

“It’s a bucket list thing for a lot of people,” he said.

He said there were once 30 tents travelling the countryside, giving locals the chance to test their boxing skills.

“There’s no sideshows left in the country. You go to sideshow alley and it’s all mechanical rides, no sideshows,” he said.

Fred said his fighters always struck some decent challengers at Nambour.

“We get plenty of people put up their hands. There’s a lot of gyms around here and they come from Brisbane and further to have a go,” he said. “My blokes are pretty good. Sometimes they get the better of us and sometimes we get the better of them but that’s what people come to see.”

Fred also has two women boxers ready to take on any females who want to have a shot in the ring.

“I’ve got The Beaver. She’s got hairs on her legs that would spear a rat, I’ve got the Burnett Heads jaw-breaker. She’s and up and coming Australian champion,” he said.

• Tickets for the fundraising double-header are $40 each and are available only through www.trybooking.com.