www.firstnationstelegraph.com
Rugby League Ambassadors tackle bullying during visits
by Anna Wallin
R
ugby League Ambassadors Rhys Wesser, Steve Turner, Adam MacDougall, Mark Riddell, Dean Young and Shaun Timmins will deliver the NRL’s successful Tackle Bullying campaign to more than 30 local Rugby League clubs, schools in an eight-day visit across Western Australian remote Pilbara region. The NRL’s Pilbara Roadshow will see the NRL stars arrive in Perth on Friday (May 10) to visit St Stephens School Duncraig before flying to Karratha to start the tour by launching Pilbara Rugby League Junior season on Saturday, 11 May. The NRL’s Tackle Bullying campaign has already been embraced by more than 200,000 students this year including 2500 primary and senior school students in Darwin last week. “The Pilbara is a remote and transient region with many young families passing through the area each year,” General Manager for Community, Culture and Diversity Ms Trish Crews said. “Rugby League as a game also helps bring people together and give them a passion for sport with a game that they can take anywhere. “It is never easy moving school or meeting new people so being able to provide children the tools to understand, recognise and address bullying issues is incredibly important for the young students,” In 2013 participation numbers in the Western Australia Pilbara region are already on the rise with the West Australian Rugby League (WARL) confident of seeing a solid increase in players across all ages. The popularity of the game in the region has also seen the appointment of the Pilbara’s first
full-time Game Development and Competition Coordinator Mr Chris Newman based in Karratha “After the success of the first Pilbara Roadshow last year, it is extremely pleasing to see the NRL again demonstrating their ‘whole of game’ approach to Rugby League development in regional WA,” WARL Chief Executive Mr John
Sackson said. “This initiative will not only strengthen and grow the game in the Pilbara region, but will also enrich the local community by way of inspirational health, education and well-being messages delivered by some of the legends of the game.”
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