NRL Rugby League Reconciliation Action Plan
5th February 2008
The National Rugby League’s highest profile indigenous athletes today joined NRL Chief Executive David Gallop, ARL Chief Executive Geoff Carr and Reconciliation Australia’s Chief Executive Barbara Livesey in launching Australian sport’s first Reconciliation Action Plan. The plan commits to a blue-print for helping indigenous athletes make the most of their professional careers while also assisting development in local communities through involvement in Rugby League and through the promotion of education programmes in those communities. The six players acting as an advisory group for the plan are Dean Widders, Preston Campbell, Matt Bowen, Johnathan Thurston, Sam Thaiday and Greg Inglis and they are already committed to a range of projects with indigenous communities.
The plan brings together the individual efforts of these players with game-wide programmes to promote cultural awareness, reading programmes, healthy lifestyles, women in League programmes, regional competitions and elite athlete development. It acknowledges and supports the work of individual clubs such as North Queensland (Remote Communities program) and South Sydney (Souths Cares) who have undertaken key programmes in their own right.
The National Rugby League includes 11% of athletes with indigenous heritage (ahead of a national average of 3% of the population) and since 2003 has worked with the Australian Sports Commission to promote cultural awareness within each of its clubs. The Australian Rugby League has been the first to appoint an indigenous programmes manager in Ricky Walford, who has assisted in the formation of the first Indigenous Rugby League Council. Under the Chairmanship of William “Smiley” Johnstone, the council is developing a common charter that unites a number of indigenous competitions.
Few people would understand how important the game of Rugby League is for many indigenous communities,” Souths forward and Ken Stephen Medal winner Dean Widders said today “The game brings communities together and also provides a means of sending positive messages to our youth. “Any NRL player – indigenous or non-indigenous – who visits a community carries enormous influence over the kids. “In building an awareness of healthy choices and continuing to promote the importance of education we can all contribute to bridging the gap in the life expectancy of Indigenous kids. “This Reconciliation Action Plan brings together a lot of things and it is an important step for all indigenous Rugby League players. “I know that I speak for my brother players when I say that it is an honour to be invited on this group and to be part of today’s launch.”
Mr Gallop said that it was significant that the announcement was one of the first official occasions of the Centenary season: “Rugby League has been lucky to celebrate the talents of some amazing indigenous athletes and that is most certainly the case today. “Tomorrow at ANZ Stadium we bring together players from all clubs and all backgrounds in an historic day for the game. “Today though is a chance to recognise a unique contribution made by indigenous athletes and to commit to long term strategies to encourage those athletes and their local communities.”
Mr Carr said the plan was a commitment across all development areas: “Through Ricky Walford we have been working to coordinate a number of indigenous Rugby League groups towards a common set of goals and that is really starting to make a difference. “The support for the Rugby League in regional areas is incredibly strong and it can open real opportunities along the way.”
Barbara Livesey, Chief Executive of Reconciliation Australia said: “The Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) programme encourages organisations in all sectors to sign up to specific, measurable targets towards closing the 17-year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. “As the first sporting code to develop a RAP, the NRL and ARL involvement gives all Australians a sense of how much we can do when we work together to make our communities stronger. “We welcome the ARL and NRL to the growing RAP community and look forward to working with David Gallop and Geoff Carr and the team as they develop their plan as part of this nation-building effort.”
NRL Rugby League Reconciliation Action Plan