Indigenous Sport Month: Champs gather as NRL launches Indigenous Round

Rugby league has been heralded as a “bridge builder between cultures” as some of the game’s biggest names were on hand to launch this week’s Indigenous round.

Rugby league is a “bridge builder between cultures” which will continue to celebrate and recognise the feats of the game’s Indigenous players this weekend.

The annual Indigenous Round was launched with Eels flyer Blake Ferguson joining ex-greats Timana Tahu and Ricky Walford on Tuesday morning.

ARL commissioner Megan Davis said the game was at the forefront of change.

“Rugby league wouldn’t be what it is today without the influence of our aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players,” Davis said.

“Rugby league is very much a part of aboriginal DNA. In many ways our game has been a bridge builder between cultures. We punch above our weight in terms of social cohesion in Australia.

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ARL Commissioner Megan Davis at the NRL Indigenous Round Launch in Moore Park. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“This round is about connecting what we do as a code, what our players do and connecting that to the history.”

The game’s current players such as Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Jack Wighton are developing into leaders in their own right.

The trio will headline a host of ingenious players on show this weekend.

“Just four per cent of our population is Indigenous but 12 per cent of the NRL playing population is aboriginal,” Davis said.

“Our game has and always will over-index when it comes to Aboriginal participation. We bring communities and cultures together. We are breaking down barriers.

Blake Ferguson, Timana Tahu and Ricky Walford at the NRL indigenous Round Launch in Moore Park. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“On the field our Indigenous players are superstars.

“Imagine rugby league without Jonathan Thurston, Greg Inglis and Arthur Beetson. You cannot picture rugby league without the influence of Indigenous players.”

Ex-St George flyer Walford added: “Rugby league is synonymous with Indigenous community’s right throughout Australia”.

The NRL’s school to work program has a 92 per cent success rate in Indigenous students completing year 12.

Davis said the game was pushing to get that number as close to 100 per cent as possible.

Originally published as Indigenous Sport Month: Champs gather as NRL launches Indigenous Round