Canberra Raiders Cup: Queanbeyan Blues out to add to city's remarkable local footy trophy collection

But it isn't what you think.

It comes down to heart for the NSW city dubbed 'struggle town'.

And it goes beyond the 2620 postcode for the city's sporting teams.

They bleed for Queanbeyan, whether it's the black and gold of the Tigers, the white and blue of the Whites, the black and green of Monaro, or the blue and white of the Blues.

Queanbeyan is looking to add to its long list of sporting accolades this season in the top flights of Canberra's winter sporting codes on Sunday.

It began with the Queanbeyan Tigers winning the cups in both the men's and women's AFL Canberra competitions.

Then it was the Queanbeyan Whites last weekend taking out the John I Dent Cup men's rugby union decider.

And now it's the Queanbeyan Blues hunting the Canberra Raiders Cup title on Sunday, and the Monaro Panthers looking to continue their NPL men's finals campaign next weekend.

Although for the Blues, more than the cup is on the line. It will be Terry Campese's last rugby league game, ever.

The 38-year-old has battled through a quad strain in recent weeks to keep the fairytale ending to his career alive. It all comes to a head on Sunday against the West Belconnen Warriors.

"That's about all I've got left. Eighty minutes is all the body needs to get through. The boots will stay out on the field as well," he said.

"It's a good game to finish on."

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The Blues go into the game at Seiffert Oval as underdogs against the minor premier Warriors. And that's just the way they like it.

Queanbeyan teams are used to being the underdogs in the region's sporting landscape.

But they have always known what they're capable of; Canberra teams have in the past dismissed them and labelled them struggle town.

That nickname should have been scratched from the record books years ago, given the city's history of turning out sporting stars like Mark Webber, Ricky Stuart, Heather Mackay and the like.

But a first grade footy treble would cement their status in the community competitions, and shake that title forever on the sporting field.

Campese, a 139-game Canberra Raiders stalwart, is not sure if the treble has been done before by the city across the three men's codes, but he knows how important it is for the community.

And it led to nerves last weekend, and likely more nerves on Sunday.

"It feels like the pressure of the town is on us," Campese said.

"We knew the Tigers won, we knew the Whites won and I got quite nervous. I don't really get nervous, but [last] Sunday I got nervous. It sits with us to complete the treble.

"We can definitely feel the buzz around the town. Our players feel the support from their families, friends and the town in general.

"Sport brings people together. It doesn't matter what age, race - it's a connection people love. That's what it's done for Queanbeyan as well, it brings the town together."

The city's spirit will be on full display once the first whistle sounds around the ground, with Tigers and Whites players set to be on the sidelines cheering the Blues on.

And it comes down to community pride, aided by the fact many people involved in the club grew up there, there are long-serving volunteers invested in each one, and it's driving the culture of each club.

Tigers men's captain Joshua Bryce echoed that sentiment, and said that familiarity in the community, and the 'us versus them' mentality against Canberra made it stick.

"We've always been seen as a little town across the border, and we've always been the underdogs and we love that out here in Queanbeyan. We thrive on it, and all our teams have got that 'never say die' kind of attitude," he said.

"We also know each other, we catch up and that kind of stuff. So it is really good to have that community behind you. You've seen it in our grand final and the Whites', and you will in the Blues grand final this weekend.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of support there, and it being Campo's last game, there's going to be a lot of support, not just from the Blues community, but from the whole Queanbeyan community."

It's that sense of community that drew the Tigers women's captain Kate McGrath to the club when she was living in Wagga Wagga.

It helped the side upset the undefeated Ainslie to claim the cup last month.

"I hate using the word vibe, but it's got a great vibe about it," she said.

"I love the environment, there's a very big community feel.

"But it's the heart in it as well. Every time you play, every time you step onto the field, you really feel the family and the heart around the game."

Sunday at Seiffert Oval:

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