THOSE showing up to the Ipswich Turf Club track on Saturday expecting a normal day at the races will get a surprise.

They will see barrier attendants wearing Ipswich rugby league club jerseys and the clerks of the course wearing rugby league referees' shirts.

The course is set to be taken over by rugby league for the day as part of the first Rugby League Ipswich Day at the Races.

The Ipswich rugby league community will descend on the course where horse racing will be accompanied by National Rugby League-run clinics, rides for kids, free entry to anyone wearing a club shirt, Brisbane Broncos mascot, merchandise and a march past of Ipswich league clubs.

The day was conceived by the NRL's Steve Brown with help from Ipswich Junior Rugby League operations manager Katrina Brown.

The goal is to help raise the profile of the game in Ipswich and give all Ipswich fans of rugby league a chance to get together and have a great day out.

"We saw it as a chance to give more exposure to the rugby league clubs," Katrina Brown said.

"We had a relationship with the turf club through a previous event to reward volunteers. It is the first time the Ipswich Turf Club has been able to secure this date, which coincides with the Gold Coast Magic Millions meeting."

Hopes are high the day will become an annual event.

Footy race day