‘Received a lot of hate’: Ugly response to 22yo’s Origin Welcome to Country exposed

The young woman who sparked a national conversation about the Welcome to Country has opened up on her “overwhelming” ordeal.

The young woman who delivered the Welcome to Country for the State of Origin series has opened up on the “overwhelming” reaction to it.

While Savannah Fynn’s welcome for State of Origin Game 1 in Sydney was well received in many circles, it led controversial radio host Kyle Sandilands to suggest the practice had become “overused and lost its impact”.

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Fynn has now opened up on the response to her Welcome to Country, explaining people had criticised her appearance.

“I was just so worried I would stutter or mess up my words because I’d never spoken in front of that many people,” Fynn said in an interview with Stellar.

“But once I finished, I felt a moment of relief. I ran straight over to my nan, obviously one of my Elders, and I gave her a big hug and a cuddle.

“It’s definitely an overwhelming feeling, getting all this attention. It’s not something I’m used to at all.

“I’m a very quiet person so this is a big change. Even though it’s all positive, I struggle with taking compliments and I get a bit shy. I’m kind of ready for it to die down!”

Savannah Fynn delivered the Welcome to Country for State of Origin Game 1.

“As sad as it is, being a lighter skin colour, I’ve received a lot of hate for that,” the 22-year-old university student told Stellar.

“A lot of people have picked on the way I look, the way I speak, even coming down to having blonde hair. My hair is actually dark, I’ve just dyed it blonde.

“I think people also get very confused as to what an Acknowledgement and Welcome actually is. We’re not welcoming you to Australia; obviously you live here.

“We’re welcoming you to the traditional owners of that land and acknowledging the traditional land. And in terms of comments about overuse, I feel you have to respect everyone’s opinions, even if you may not agree.

“Being a First Nations person, I find it wonderful seeing my culture embraced. But obviously you can’t please everyone.”

Singer Dylan Wright was criticised for his acoustic version of the national anthem before State of Origin Game 1.

“I found it disgusting the way people were speaking about poor Dylan,” Fynn said.

“It was really disheartening and it made my heart hurt.”

Fynn is aiming to be a young role model and hopes to show “young Indigenous people that we can get up and speak”.

She is working on completing her degree and marking NAIDOC Week (for the National Aborigines’ and Islanders’ Day Observance Committee), from July 7.

Dylan Wright sings the national anthem before Game 1. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Former NRL players Dean Widders and Timana Tahu debated the Welcome to Country issue on SBS NITV’s NRL show Over the Black Dot.

Widders, who spent a decade in the NRL with the Roosters, Eels and Rabbitohs, felt the Origin ceremony had “missed the mark”.

“As proud Indigenous men, it’s been talked a lot about, the Welcome to Country before the game,” the 44-year-old said.

“We work at the NRL and the NRL engaged an Aboriginal organisation to deliver the Welcome to Country on their behalf at the State of Origin games.

“Kyle Sandilands came out on the radio and said that it seemed tokenistic.

“And I think for me as Blackfullas, we’ve got to measure up, we’ve got to aim up on what we do.

“I’ve been to some beautiful Welcome to Countries where we see people dressed in full outfit all painted up and in language deliver those Welcome to Countries that are really beautiful and meaningful and make a real difference.

“But unfortunately, what we saw in the Sydney Origin wasn’t that, and I thought that we missed the mark with it there and we’ve got to do better.

“We don’t want non-Indigenous people to see it as tokenistic.”

Tahu, 43, represented the Kangaroos and Wallabies in his dual-code career and also featured in 12 State of Origin matches for the Blues.

He was also keen to set the record straight over who had organised this year’s ceremony.

“I agree with that and I don’t see it as tokenistic,” he said.

“I think the NRL do a really good job on educating our football fans on Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander culture.

“Me and you work at the NRL and we go through our due diligence, which is we source Aboriginal organisations to make the decision for the NRL.

“And a lot of the community went and backlashed on (NRL chief executive) Andrew Abdo and I’m here to say that it wasn’t his fault, it’s the organisation’s fault for what they’ve done.”

Read the full interview and see the shoot with Savannah Fynn in Stellar. For more from Stellar, click here.