NRL Indigenous All Stars Visit Somerset

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week the College was fortunate to have the NRL Men’s Indigenous All Stars train at the Sports Precinct in the lead-up to their match against the Maori All Stars. The team arrived on Tuesday and got straight to work on the Wyangan Rugby Field.

“This is the best day of my life!”

While the presence of a professional Rugby League team coming at you in full pace may seem like a deterrent for some, it never phased our 1st XV Rugby Team who went about their training session on the field alongside them with little fanfare.

The Indigenous Team boasted a host of NRL Superstars with Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr (not Attoe-Carr) and Blake Ferguson among others. For our eight visiting students of the Clontarf Foundation and Murgon State School, seeing their heroes up close was a once in a lifetime experience for them. The players, recognising the opportunity to engage with the students literally gave their shirts off their backs as they provided a token of their own appreciation. After an action-packed morning of watching and training with the players, young Reuben from Murgon was heard saying on his departure, “this is the best day of my life.”

On Wednesday the team arrived and went through their training regime on the field and in the gym however it was an impromptu game of basketball with our students that provided a fitting end to their visit. While some of the players were finishing their weights, Latrell Mitchell, Nathan Peats, James Roberts and David Fifita were seen playing a game of “street ball” against our students. There were no cameras, no fans, no coaches or player agents telling them what to do, just a group of young men seeing an opportunity to play a game with our kids. All Stars in name, All Stars in nature!

We’re fortunate to have the calibre of sporting facilities to attract professional sporting teams, however these types of opportunities cannot take place without the leadership and support of our Headmaster, as well as the many staff who contribute. Special thanks to Mr. Brad Walker for organising the visiting students from the Clontarf Foundation whom we share a fantastic partnership with, Martin Furlong and his team for providing a wonderful breakfast for our guests, as well as the tremendous students and staff who support these types of initiatives.

For some, it may have been just another day at Somerset, but for others “it was the best day of their life.”