Country RL - Bush Telegraph #3

2014 Community Carnival

Recently retired NRL stars Danny Buderus, Scott Prince, Ben Ross, Dallas Johnson, Joe Galuvao, Anthony Quinn and Matt King will join with fellow Ambassadors and current stars from all 16 NRL Clubs in a Rugby League initiative which aims to educate up to 300,000 school children in a month on how to “tackle bullying” issues.

The newly appointed Ambassadors are part of a 24-man team led by NRL Tackle Bullying spokesmen Nathan Hindmarsh and Matt Cooper who will work alongside clubs throughout the month-long 2014 Community Carnival which kicked off on Wednesday January 29 when the Dragons visit schools in Kiama and ends in Perth at the end of February.

Widely recognised as the largest community initiative in Australian sport, Ambassadors and players will use new educational resources developed by the NRL in conjunction with the Australian Catholic University (ACU) and aimed at children, teachers and parents to help empower students to cope with difficult social situations.

All Ambassadors have also received formal training by leading psychologist Dr Elizabeth Seely-Wait, who helped develop the resources, to be released next week for the first time.

“We’re all eager to use the resources and knowledge from last week’s training to empower children across the country to stand up for themselves and their peers,” said Cooper.

“It’s time we saw bullying eradicated in Australian schools and all of the NRL’s One Community Ambassadors are behind making this goal happen.”

The annual event, which last year saw NRL players and Ambassadors visit 203,400 children at 840 schools across 358 towns, is part of Rugby League’s commitment to making a positive difference in the community and speaking out on issues of social significance.

“The NRL is in a unique position to make a positive social difference,” said NRL Community, Culture and Diversity Interim General Manager, Mr Mark Deweerd.

“We hope to give children the confidence and knowledge to cope with bullying and its effects through the powerful vehicle of Rugby League.”

A key resource of the anti-bullying program is the NRL's “Tackle Bullying Green Hand”, a five-fingered action plan aimed at helping victims to cope and stand up to bullying.

The certified action plan involves the following proactive strategies:
1. Stand Strong
2. Stay Calm
3. Respond Confidently
4. Walk Away
5. Report

The resource will be distributed throughout the Community Carnival and children are encouraged to contact the Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 if they are finding it difficult to cope and need further support.

2014 Community Carnival Schedule (to date)*

*Please note that this schedule is subject to change. Please check with NRL Club Media Managers to confirm visit dates, times and attendees.

Wed 29 January 2014, St George Illawarra Dragons @ Kiama
Sunday 2 February 2014, Manly Sea Eagles @ Kemspey; Bowraville
Monday 3 February 2014, Newcastle Knights @ Denman
Monday 3 February 2014, Manly Sea Eagles @ Kempsey; Berowra
Monday 3 February 2014, Wests Tigers - Local @ Western Suburbs (local) and Southern Highlands (upper end)
Tuesday 4 February 2014, Wests Tigers - Local @ Western Suburbs (local) and Southern Highlands (upper end)
Tuesday 4 February 2014, Gold Coast Titans- Local @ Tweed Heads Region
Tuesday 4 February 2014, Manly Sea Eagles @ Kemspey; Bowraville
Tuesday 4 February 2014, Newcastle Knights @ Kurri Kurri; Maitland
Tuesday 4 February 2014, St George Illawarra Dragons @ Bega
Wednesday 5 February 2014, St George Illawarra Dragons @ Bega
Wednesday 5 February 2014, Newcastle Knights @ Newcastle (Festival of Indigenous Rugby League)
Thursday 6 February 2014, Parramatta Eels @ Alice Springs
Saturday 8 February 2014, South Sydney Rabbitohs @ Albury

Academy squads prepare for Knights

The Greater Northern Rugby League Academy Squad will begin to finalize preparations for their upcoming matches with another training session on Sunday, 2nd February.

With the upcoming NRL trial at Scully Park, the academy will make North Tamworth’s, Jack Woolaston Oval their base for the rest of the program.

This week’s session will focus more on the team’s structure with an eye on the 15th February, when the squads will take on the Newcastle Knights Chargers and U17’s squads in Cessnock. The games in Cessnock will be a prelude to the Knights Harold Matthews and SG Ball squads Round 1 games against Western Suburbs.

Regional Manager Scott Bone said, “These games against the Knights are an annual part of our program, and is a great opportunity not only for the players but the coaching staff to see where the program has placed the players near it’s
finalization”.

WHAT: GREATER NORTHERN RL ACADEMY TRAINING
WHEN: SUNDAY 2nd February 2014 – 10am to 1.30pm
WHERE: JACK WOOLASTON OVAL, TAMWORTH

Cassar-Daley headline act for Knights Trial V Goannas

Following sell-out performances at the Tamworth Music Festival last week, multi award-winning country musician Troy Cassar-Daley will be the headline act during the Festival of Indigenous Rugby League in Newcastle next week.

Cassar-Daley will close a program of cultural acts including performances from local singing group, the Windale Choir, and the Hunter Indigenous dance group, the Millibah Dancers at the trial match between Wayne' Bennett's Knights and Laurie Daley's non-elite Indigenous First Nations Goannas at Hunter Stadium on Saturday week (February 8). 

The game will mark the end of a week-long celebration in Newcastle of Indigenous Rugby League that includes the NRL Indigenous Players Cultural Camp, community and school visits, a free Deadly Choices Community Event, health clinics and preliminary games including the celebrated Murris v Koori Interstate Challenge, and the Indigenous Women’s and U16 boys Queensland vs New South Wales interstate matches.

“As a proud Indigenous Australian, it’s fantastic to see Rugby League continuing to celebrate the Indigenous community and honoring their role in the success of the game,” said Cassar-Daley.

“It’s exciting to be a part of such a rich cultural celebration and share my music with sports fans and the wider community in Newcastle.

“I’m also looking forward to seeing some of the talented young Indigenous players get the opportunity to play against the Knights in the culmination of what will have been a really significant experience in their lives over the past two weeks.”

The All Stars concept will return in 2015 with the NRL All Stars v Indigenous Stars match rested in 2014 following the World Cup.

Tickets
Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.
• General admission: Adults $18, Children $8, Family $45
• Reserved: Adults $25, Children $15, Family $65
For a full list of events for the week visit www.crlnsw.com.au

2014 NRL Trial Games Confirmed

The NRL have confirmed the following Trial Games in Country NSW.

Saturday 15th February
6.30pm Newcastle Knights V Roosters/Jets at Morry Breen Oval, Kanwal NSW
FREE ENTRY

Saturday 22nd February
5pm Dragons v Rabbitohs at WIN Stadium, Wollongong NSW
Tickets on sale here

Saturday 22nd February
7.30pm Knights v Raiders at Scully Park, Tamworth NSW
Tickets on sale here.

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