The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has taken part in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness session today, as part of their monthly Commission meeting.
ARLC Chairman, Peter Beattie said the session was part of the NRL's Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) commitment for Commissioners and NRL staff to undertake ongoing education regarding First Nations peoples, their history and their culture.
"Our game has had a RAP in place for over a decade," Mr Beattie said.
"I am very proud of the fact that we have an Aboriginal woman as a member of our Commission – Megan Davis; one of our greatest Jillaroos leads our Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council as Chair – Katrina Fanning; and we are the first National Sporting Organisation to be part-way through our fourth RAP – an Elevate RAP."
"We have an incredible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander following within our game – 12% of NRL players and 19% of our junior participants hail from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, as do thousands of our fans.
"The session today was a fantastic reminder on how important it is for First Nations peoples to continue to feel a sense of pride and inclusiveness within rugby league."
The Commission meeting also included an update on Round One of the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership competition, along with updates on participation and the game's finances.
