What’s Happening?
Toowoomba is among Queensland’s National Science Week highlights, with the festival running from 15 to 23 August 2026. The national festival reaches more than 3 million people through over 2,500 events across Australia.
As part of the Queensland program, Brains, Boots & Beyond will take visitors inside a professional rugby league player’s brain. The immersive virtual reality installation combines neuroscience, sports psychology and wellbeing.
Why It Matters
Rugby league performance relies on mental skills and physical preparation, particularly when players face pressure, fatigue, and demanding team situations.
The installation turns these processes into an interactive experience. It helps visitors understand how the brain supports decision-making, performance, recovery, and personal well-being.
Its sporting format also gives audiences a clear way to connect neuroscience with situations they already recognise.
Local Impact
The project brings together Toowoomba’s sporting, education, and cultural communities through a shared public program.
The Western Clydesdales provide the player perspective, while UniSQ contributes scientific knowledge and hosts the installation. Queensland Museum Cobb+Co adds another community venue, giving more residents access to the experience. The organisation places Toowoomba at the centre of a major National Science Week activity.
By The Numbers
- National Science Week runs for nine days of activities.
- The national festival reaches more than 3 million people through over 2,500 events across Australia.
- Project manager Anna Nicholls brings more than 30 years of learning and development experience, including digital innovation.
Zoom In
Associate Professor Edward Bliss is a UniSQ neuroscientist whose research connects exercise, lifestyle and brain blood flow with cognition. He also studies how these factors influence healthy ageing and human performance.
Anna Nicholls founded Concinnity Consulting and manages Brains, Boots & Beyond. Her background combines learning and development with digital innovation.
Launch speaker Brian Canavan is the current Chair of Queensland Rugby League and a respected rugby league administrator. He has long championed sports science, athlete development, and evidence-based performance.
Canavan also supports closer connections between neuroscience, human performance and elite sport.
Zoom Out
National Science Week connects public audiences with science through events across the country. The Toowoomba installation adds a regional program linking university research, community sport, and public learning through virtual reality.
It also shows how familiar sporting experiences can help explain the science behind focus, teamwork, resilience and recovery.
What To Look For Next?
The public launch will take place on Tuesday, 18 August, with Brian Canavan appearing as guest speaker. UniSQ will also host daily sessions, while Queensland Museum Cobb+Co will offer additional sessions.
The program could build wider local interest in how science supports sport, wellbeing, and human performance. Full attendance details are available HERE
