Renegades captain visits RMIT ahead of Indigenous match

Renegades captain visits RMIT ahead of Indigenous match

Before the club’s inaugural Indigenous match, Melbourne Renegades captain Dan Christian visited RMIT University to speak with students from the University’s Ngarara Willim Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Tuesday’s match was the last of five Indigenous-themed matches in the KFC Big Bash League (BBL), celebrating Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures.

Connecting with Indigenous students is a crucial part of RMIT’s partnership with the Melbourne Renegades as Official Community Partner and Official Education Provider, and of the University’s commitment to reconciliation.

Christian, a proud Wiradjuri man, who was a key driver for setting up the match said an Indigenous round in the BBL was the next step cricket had to take.

“We’ve seen it in other sports - the AFL and NRL in particular - where they have an indigenous round every year,” he said.

“Hopefully, we can be promoting our sport to some young Aboriginal kids and also be promoting our culture back to the wider cricket community.”

L-R: Students Maya Mokak and Torey Brooking, Renegades captain Dan Christan and student Eleanor Franks L-R: Students Maya Mokak and Torey Brooking, Renegades captain Dan Christan and student Eleanor Franks

The Ngarara Willim Centre supports Indigenous staff and students to reach their potential with study, living and cultural services.

Speaking with the Renegades all-rounder, Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) student Maya Mokak shared how the Centre has helped them with their studies.

“It’s a place where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can connect up, have a yarn, study, or just hang out.”

Bachelor of Art (Fine Art) student Eleanor Franks described how the Ngarara Willim Centre helped her secure a scholarship to live and study in Melbourne.

RMITxRenegades student ambassadors cheered on the team at Tuesday's Indigenous match RMITxRenegades student ambassadors cheered on the team at Tuesday's Indigenous match

The match on Tuesday night opened with a pre-match Welcome to Country and barefoot reconciliation circle.

RMITxRenegades student ambassadors were on the ground to support the team, who fell four runs short of the Hobart Hurricanes.

Both sides wore uniforms featuring Indigenous artwork, with the Renegades sporting a shirt designed by 17-year-old Wurundjeri artist Ky-ya Nicholson-Ward.

Players used cricket bats decorated with Indigenous artwork and cricket balls bearing the word ‘dhurrorrong’, meaning ‘kookaburra’ in the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri mob of the Kulin Nation.

Christian’s bat sticker was designed by an Indigenous artist from Narrandera, NSW – the same place the Renegades captain grew up.

The Indigenous match opened with a Welcome to Country The Indigenous match opened with a Welcome to Country

 

Story: Caleb Scanlon

24 January 2020

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24 January 2020

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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