Rugby League’s first-ever Indigenous Youth Tour to Europe will depart Rugby League Central this Friday 8 November for a life-changing experience that celebrates both the Indigenous culture and the opportunities the game can provide for young Indigenous Australians.
The New South Wales Rugby League, in conjunction with KARI Aboriginal Resources, will send 32 players from towns as far reaching as Goodooga, Coonamble and Gulargambone to take part in the tour, which coincides with the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
The touring party will be farewelled by NSW Blues Coach Laurie Daley and will also receive a special good luck message from Indigenous Kangaroos superstar Greg Inglis, who has generously shouted the whole team a trip to Disneyland Paris.
The side is made up of many of this year’s NSW Under-16s side, which defeated Queensland 32–12 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in a curtain-raiser to the NRL All Stars versus the Indigenous All Stars match.
‘The NSWRL continues to invest heavily in Indigenous programs and we have a great history of providing the NRL with players from our elite programs,’ said NSWRL Indigenous rugby league manager Ricky Walford.
‘We had five players from our NSW Indigenous Under-16s side progress through to make the actual NSW Under-16s side, which beat Queensland before State of Origin Game One in Sydney, and that is credit to Steve Hall (NSWRL Indigenous programs officer) and our pathways programs.
‘The tour is not only about the football aspects; it is about building these kids into future role models for their community and broadening their horizons through some unique educational opportunities.’
The touring party departs Rugby League Central on Friday afternoon with the first stop on the trip being Barcelona.
The group will then travel through France, where they will visit the grave of an Indigenous soldier buried at the Somme as well as take on combined French under-16s and under-17s sides.
After a game against the London Broncos Academy, the tour will draw to a conclusion at the World Cup semifinal double-header at Wembley Stadium.
The touring squad is as follows:
| Jade Anderson | Sydney |
| Ngangarra Barker | Newcastle |
| James Bower-Scott | Bega |
| Tyrell Charters | Condobolin |
| Kiah Cooper | Newcastle |
| Phillip Combridge | Dubbo |
| Daine Colin-Cox | Dubbo |
| Troy Dargan | Sydney |
| Tyrone Davis | Kempsey |
| Kyle Derrick | Coonamble |
| Jake Gillett-Gow | Penrith |
| Bailey Hartwig | Forbes |
| Vann Harris-Kennedy | Goonellabah/Lismore |
| Sam Humphries | Wagga Wagga |
| Marika Kelly-Sagono | Macksville |
| Keedan Kelly | Macksville |
| William Kennedy | Bathurst |
| Christopher Kirby | Lake Cargelico |
| Robert Lane | Goodooga |
| William Last | Sydney |
| Jayden Merritt | Dubbo |
| Ryan Millgate | Gulargumbone |
| Caleb Gordon | Newcastle |
| Jessie Thompson | Wagga Wagga |
| Ethan Roberts | Grafton |
| Tyrone Roche | Sydney |
| Daniel Roberts | Campbelltown |
| Martin Scott | Bega |
| Tyler Terare | Penrith |
| Ronald Sines Vale | Kempsey |
| Cody Walker | Yamba |
| Nate Welsh | Kempsey |
| John-Boy Quinlan | Armidale |
| Aubrey French | Campbelltown |
| Trae Moran | Newcastle |
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
