Club has focus on culture
SPREADING a positive message to indigenous people and highlighting their triumphs is a passion for ex- North Queensland Cowboys player Ray Thompson.
Thompson, who retired last year, now works as community engagement and programs officer at the club.
He said NAIDOC Week was important for everyone.
“I think NAIDOC is a great way to celebrate indigenous culture … history and the achievements over the years and the people that have made a lot of this possible,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s role in helping the community does not end at NAIDOC Week, though.
In his position he works within many of the club’s programs.
Thompson said although the club’s programs were not specifically for indigenous people, many of the people engaged with them were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
One program Thompson and Cowboys legend Matt Bowen are involved in is the Try For 5! program which is designed to improve school attendance.
“We do that program in Townsville but we also go to rural and indigenous communities, and the key message is getting kids to come to school and promote education,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the Cowboys players and sportspeople in general were in a unique position to use sport to spread positive messages.
“The primary responsibility is to win rugby league games but we can absolutely put some positive messages into the community and I’m just even more thankful we get to do that with indigenous culture.”
NQ Cowboys general manager- community Fiona Pelling said the club had a lot of programs that were more indigenous focused.
She said a lot of them were there to help close the gap between indigenous and non- indigenous Australians.
“I think it’s really important to acknowledge there still is a gap and that’s not OK,” Ms Pelling said.
“We all have a responsibility and role in ensuring that gap is closed. So I think NAIDOC Week is a great combination of celebrating and bringing to the forefront the traditional heritage of the land, and our indigenous Australian people and acknowledging their contribution to our economy.”
Ms Pelling said sport had an important role to play in bringing people together.
“It’s part of the DNA of North Queensland ... so it’s a topic we all share a common interest in,” she said.