Group Seven talents proud to play for NAIDOC Week jersey

Round 13 will see all first-grade teams sport a uniquely designed Indigenous jersey as part of NAIDOC Round. National NAIDOC Week events are held in the first week of July each year to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Indigenous Australians.

Representatives from the Group Seven clubs joined together on Wednesday at Kiama Showground to officially launch the special round.

"This is a really important week in the Group Seven rugby league calendar. This weekend marks our NAIDOC Round, where we pay respect and honour our proud, traditional First Nations people. We've had so many great players over the years represent Group Seven," the group's operations manager Ashton Sims said.

"It's a re-investment of the competition to help purchase our first-grade team's jerseys and make sure we get the clubs to engage in their local artists to add traditional totems and symbols onto the jerseys. And that's what they've done and we're really proud of all of our clubs going out there and doing that.

"There's some incredible designs and some really talented artists here in our own backyard."

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Sims said the NAIDOC Week initiative had continued to grow in recent years.

"Since I've been involved, we've always had our Indigenous and NAIDOC Round. And it's something that the clubs really get behind, both our seniors and our juniors," he said.

"We had to do our junior round last week so unfortunately they won't play this weekend because of the school holidays, but hopefully we can align them in the future and make it one big round. It's a really important piece of our history that we are very proud of, and to make sure we honour the people that have come before, and our elders - past, present and emerging."

One player who is proud to sport Albion Park's NAIDOC Week jersey for the first time this weekend is Kane Ball.

After claiming a rousing 30-10 win over Warilla last week, the Eagles will look to continue building momentum when they face Nowra-Bomaderry on Sunday.

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"This is my first year back at Park so I haven't been included in a NAIDOC Week Round before, so it means a lot to me as a proud Watiwati man," halfback Ball said.

"Our jersey was designed by a 17-year-old girl, Porsha Williams, who is from Oak Flats and goes to Oak Flats High. Our jersey has the escarpment near Tullimbar at the top and a meeting place down the bottom for the nest at Albion Park, Croome Road, which is where we all come together. And there's a watering hole down the bottom too which represents Lake Illawarra.

"We're playing Nowra this weekend and they've got a few Aboriginal boys, so it's good to face them this week. It will be a big test for us and I'll be very proud to wear this jersey. I can't wait to get out there."

Gerringong captain Nathan Ford added that it was great for his club to embrace NAIDOC Week.

"We've had a lot of great Aboriginal players come through our playing group and it's important that we acknowledge the Indigenous people of the land," he said.

"We asked for our jersey to be designed around Gerringong. It's known as the place of peril, so that's kind of the theme behind our jersey. And to put something on with an Indigenous meaning behind it from the local community, it means a lot to us."

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With six rounds remaining until finals, it shapes a big weekend for the Group Seven first-grade competition.

Round 13 will kick off on Saturday with Berry-Shoalhaven Heads taking Milton-Ulladulla at Berry Showground; Jamberoo tackling Shellharbour at Kevin Walsh Oval; and the Stingrays of Shellharbour meeting Warilla at Flinders Field.

The action then continues on Sunday afternoon with Nowra-Bomaderry facing Albion Park at Bomaderry Sporting Complex; and the Knights hosting Gerringong Kiama Showground.

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