![Representatives from the Group Seven clubs joined together on Tuesday at Kiama Showground to officially launch NAIDOC Round. Picture by Robert Peet Representatives from the Group Seven clubs joined together on Tuesday at Kiama Showground to officially launch NAIDOC Round. Picture by Robert Peet](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/kZL4qV6yTxfrWZJxKQxjSN/e2c3e3b0-cf16-4273-8d26-22c9d53a5aab.jpg/r0_45_600_384_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"NAIDOC Week means everything to me."
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So said Warilla Lake South Gorillas player Tyrone Roberts, who added he was happy the Group Seven rugby league community was once again preparing to recognise NAIDOC Week this weekend.
As such Round 13 fixtures will see all first-grade teams sport a uniquely designed Indigenous jersey as part of NAIDOC Round.
Representatives from the Group Seven clubs joined together on Tuesday at Kiama Showground to officially launch the special 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.
'Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud' is the theme of this year's week.
Group Seven operations manager Ashton Sims said this was a really important week in the Group Seven rugby league calendar.
"The Group Seven rugby league are really proud to have rich Indigenous and First Nations people history across the last 111 years of rugby league here on the South Coast," he said.
"This weekend is a fantastic way to honour our Fists Nations and Indigenous people that have made us into the competition that we are today.
"There's so many people, so many players, but also administrators and others involved in the game who have helped us to be in this strong position we are now.
"We want to make sure that we respect and honour those people during our special NAIDOC Round."
Sims said the NAIDOC Week initiative had continued to grow in recent years.
One player who is proud to sport Milton-Ulladulla's NAIDOC Week jersey this weekend is Riley Wooden.
"We had a collective effort in designing the jersey. We had all of the players from the girls and the boys make a design," he said.
"We have a few designs. So the white lines on our jersey is our journey, our individual journeys and we have lines and dots going to each one telling us how our journey's going and how we're all connected.
"We've also got our totems on here which all connect to our journey.
"It means a lot for the Bulldogs to be involved in NAIDOC Round and for me personally, it's a way I can represent my culture and represent my indigenous heritage through playing football."
Shellharbour Stingrays player Will Starling added that it was great for his club to embrace NAIDOC Week.
"Being the Stingrays our jersey's big on the stingray'," he said.
"Stingrays are shy and gentle and they're powerful and strong. They move gracefully through the ocean and are an important part of the sustainability of the environment in the water.
"Stingrays attack when they feel threatened. The meeting ground represents a place of learning and knowledge.
"It's a really nice design and the jersey comes up really clean and obviously has a lot of meaning behind it, and it has a lot to do with the club as well.
"It's a massive enjoyment for me to represent a bit of culture around where our club is kind of founded from and where everyone's clubs are really founded from.
"I feel like that's the main part of it."
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 Gerringong Lions battling Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs at Michael Cronin Oval.
It continues on Sunday with Warilla Lake South Gorillas playing Jamberoo Superoos at Cec Glenholmes Oval, Kiama Knights hosting the Stingrays and Shellharbour Sharks welcoming Albion Park Oak Flats Eagles to Ron Costello Oval.