Indigenous All Stars take on Territory All Stars in Deadly Cup

A CARNIVAL of rugby league matches will see the Indigenous All Stars take on the Territory All Stars in the inaugural Deadly Cup in a celebration of Aboriginal culture and community next Sunday.

Thomas Clarke will line up in the senior men’s Indigenous All Stars side. Picture: KATRINA BRIDGEFORD

A CARNIVAL of rugby league matches will see the Indigenous All Stars take on the Territory All Stars in the inaugural Deadly Cup in a celebration of Aboriginal culture and community next Sunday.

The free community event will feature matches across both junior and senior grades in a celebration of the game.

Founding director of Deadly Enterprises Shaun Tatipata was proud to be hosting the event, thanking NRL NT for its assistance in the upcoming spectacle.

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“We are proud to host the event and to provide an opportunity for our community to engage with the many health and community service providers that are here to support out mob,” Tatipata said.

“To hold this during NAIDOC week is a real privilege and it will allow us to celebrate our culture, our community, our contributions to Australia and our young and deadly rugby league players.

“It’s an opportunity for the rugby league community to see the talent we have here and it’s about Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal talent coming together to enjoy a game we all love.

“We have a huge amount of interest for the day with over 500 people coming down with some generous supporters and sponsors also helping out.”

Some of the best men’s and women’s senior players from the 2020 Darwin club competition will take to the field once again to contest the All Stars tie.

Brothers stars Nick Yarran, Aaron Pollard, Thomas Clarke and Isaac Seden-Kurnoth will line up alongside Palmerston’s Blake Fletcher and Nightcliff’s Adrian Corrie in the Indigenous All Stars outfit.

The Territory All Stars team, coached by Brothers’ premiership-winning Leon Cleal, has a strong Litchfield contingent including Frank Johnston medallists Sam McAuley, Matt Goodfellow and Luke Mahood.

The female Indigenous All-Stars side comes with a heavy Sistaz flavour including Bianca Stokes, Danielle Ponter and Bianca Scrymgour lining up alongside Litchfield’s Shari Togo.

Their opposition contains Palmerston’s Simone Garner and Ruti Faatoafe, alongside Nightcliff’s Elle Hardwick and Emily Kapernick.

The Deadly Cup will also have a strong focus on health with Tatipata bringing 20 years of experience working in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector and recently leading The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program.

In light of this, the Deadly Cup will feature the launch of the new enterprise’s Deadly Eyewear, a range of accessible, affordable and fashionable eyewear solutions.

“It’s a jam-packed program starting at 2pm when the gates open where there will also be a strong focus on health and wellbeing,” Tatipata said.

“‘We know that health outcomes are better for our mob that can access services through their own local Aboriginal Health Services. This is the same for eye health.

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“Having access to the care you need, in an environment that you feel comfortable in, supported by people that you feel safe with will change your interaction with the health system completely.

“The big message for everyone is to stay healthy and stay deadly.”