Gillian Bann pushing Yarrabah youths’ rugby league dreams
Gillian Bann simply describes herself as a volunteer in rugby league, but to many the Yarrabah Seahawks Junior Rugby League president is much more than that.
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Gillian Bann simply describes herself as a volunteer in rugby league, but to many the Yarrabah Seahawks Junior Rugby League president is much more than that.
As the matriarch of rugby league in her local Indigenous community, Bann is a passionate advocate for the sport and has played a significant role in its growth, particularly among the township’s female population.
Her dedication, commitment and incredible contribution – not just to rugby league but to the youth in her community – has earned Bann state and national recognition, after she took out this year’s QRL Female Contribution and NRL Women In League awards.
“It was a huge surprise, I didn’t expect it at all,” she said.
“I have so much appreciation for the people that nominated me for the state one, and then to be nominated for the NRL one by the wonderful people at the QRL in Far North Queensland.
“I’m just absolutely overjoyed – not so much for myself – but I am really honoured to accept these awards for all of our volunteers for both the Yarrabah Seahawks juniors and seniors.
“Without them, our young kids and our young men and women would not be on the field every week. It is just such an honour and I humbly accept both the awards on their behalf.”
The Yarrabah Seahawks Junior Rugby League club had more than 120 registered players in 2021, including the highest number of female registrations in the under-6 to under-12 age groups in the FNQ Rugby League competition.
The influence of the junior club’s all-female executive committee, headed by Bann, in conjunction with the establishment of the senior club’s first competitive women’s side, was a motivation for more young girls to take up the sport.
“I’ve seen many, many young kids, as young as six-years-old, or even younger, grow up as if they’ve been born with a rugby league football in their hands,” she said.
“When they get on the field, they just display their natural talent, as young as they are.
“They don’t want to play League Tag, they don’t want to just play touch, they just want to get out on that field and tackle.”
Bann said she wanted to encourage more girls and women to get involved in the game, and help them achieve their dreams of playing rugby league at a higher level.
“For me, the drive is making sure our kids get the best opportunity,” she said.
“There’s a career pathway for our kids, and it’s been there for quite a few of our players.
“We’ve had quite a few players come out of Yarrabah and make that elite player level.
“I’ve seen Hezron Murgha from playing the game when we were affiliated with Innisfail District Junior Rugby League back in the day, and I know as a mother I’ve had to make sacrifices for this game myself for my son to go further through the representative ranks.”
But Bann said seeing more Yarrabah players – both men and women – take their footy further was “the ultimate goal”.
“I’m happy for our community that we’ve come this far in the game and I’m just so proud that we are a rugby league family,” she said.
“We will do anything to help anybody in the game of rugby league.”
Bann was also instrumental in getting Yarrabah’s first competitive women’s team off the ground this year, using her experience to generate interest after the side struggled for numbers early in the season.
“I am just proud of the ladies,” she said.
“They stuck in there through thick and thin, they persevered from the very first game right through to the last, and now they are willing to help anywhere they can – around the canteen, cleaning up the grounds, some have even asked about doing Leaguesafe courses, sports trainer accreditation and things like that.
“They want to do more for our club and for our community, which helps build our capacity in registration and volunteer areas.”
Bann’s journey in the sport began in 1986 when her husband Sam – now the current president of Yarrabah seniors – was playing for Babinda Colts.
After relocating to Mornington Island and Bamaga during the 1990s, Bann returned to Yarrabah in 2000 to help set up a junior base at the club, which was one of the requirements for it to replace the now-defunct Babinda Colts in the Cairns District Rugby League.
After devoting almost four decades to what Bann calls “the greatest game of all”, she was now in the process of mentoring future committee members.
“We would like to get the younger ones to start stepping up, so they can hopefully step into these positions as we slowly step aside,” she said.
“We’re trying to do a bit of succession planning.”
As well as the QRL’s Far North team, Bann also paid tribute to outgoing Cairns District Rugby League secretary Pat Bailey for her guidance over the years.
“I can not go past the one lady who has been an inspiration to me and my husband, who has helped us even from back in the Babinda days, and that’s ‘aunty’ Pat Bailey,” she said.
“We love her and wish her the best in her retirement.”
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Originally published as Gillian Bann pushing Yarrabah youths’ rugby league dreams
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