St.George Queensland Reds unveil Indigenous Round jersey designed by program participant

Jul 7 • Australia, General News, International, Super Rugby • 1988 Views • Comments Off on St.George Queensland Reds unveil Indigenous Round jersey designed by program participant

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The St.George Queensland Reds today unveiled their Indigenous Round jersey, designed by program participant Phillip Yeatman, for this Friday’s clash against the Chiefs.

Yeatman, 18, is a member of Queensland Rugby Union’s ‘Reds Generation Next’ program, which works with Indigenous students in Year 11 and 12 to assist the transition from high school to employment or further education.

Originally from Yarrabah, Yeatman is a member of the Kuku-Nyunkal, Yalanji, Olkola cultural group. He graduated from Brisbane Boys College in 2015 and is currently studying engineering at Queensland University of Technology. A portion of all sales of this year’s Indigenous Round merchandise will go toward his education.

“The support and opportunities provided by the Queensland Rugby Union have been more then I could have imagined,” Yeatman said.

“Through Queensland Rugby, their partnership with Rio Tinto and the support they provide young Indigenous Queenslanders, I am chasing my dream and one step closer to being a leader for the next generation of my people.”

Yeatman’s jersey design depicts a series of campsites and campfires, with circles representing people sitting together in a ceremonial group.

“It shows a story of a group or clan moving from one spot to the next. Fire was a necessity for the original people of the land which is where the idea of my painting came from,” he said.

The Indigenous Round match coincides with NAIDOC Week and features a number of Queensland Rugby initiatives, with members of the Future Indigenous Leaders Program taking part in a range of activities throughout the week, with a focus on developing their leadership qualities through a range of aspirational activities.

Future Indigenous Leaders Program participants will also attend the NAIDOC Week event at Musgrave Park on Friday, before heading to Suncorp Stadium to watch the Reds take on the Chiefs.

Since the introduction of the Indigenous Round jersey in 2012, the Queensland Reds Indigenous Program has experienced exponential growth.

Queensland Rugby Union’s General Manager, Operations Robert Donaghue said: “This program is a long-term commitment by Queensland Rugby to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in our community. Since its inception, the program has seen over 160 students graduate with 92% of these students successfully transitioning into further education or employment post school.

“Phillip Yeatman’s increased involvement in the program is of great credit to him and a pleasing endorsement of the work we are doing.”

This week also features the launch of the Reds Foundation, which has been established to support a number of Queensland Rugby’s diversity programs, including Gender, All Abilities and Culture.

The Indigenous Round match-day jerseys will be auctioned at www.redsrugby.com.au to raise funds for the Reds Foundation.

The Reds face the Chiefs at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday 6 June.

Key statistics of Reds Indigenous Program:
-1200+ students participate in the St.George Rookies2Reds School Attendance Program annually
-Over 200 students from Year 6 – Year 13 (first year post school) benefit from individual mentoring support each year
-160 participants have graduated from the program, with:
-100% graduating Year 12
-93% successfully transitioned to employment or further education (22% above State Average)
-2014 Queensland Reconciliation and 2015 Lord Mayor’s Awards Finalist