Rugby League All Stars Match

More about Rugby League All Stars Match

The All Stars game was first held in 2010 again in 2011. The game was the brainchild of elite Indigenous player, Preston Campbell. It is held between a team of the best Indigenous players in the game , versus a team of the remaining players. Both teams are chosen by fans. Both matches have been played in front of sell-out crowds and watched by over 2 million people across the nation. T

he game is played on the anniversary of the Australian Government’s National Apology to Indigenous Australians for wrongdoings in the past. Indigenous men and women die up to 17 years earlier than other Australians and children are dying at more than double the rate of non-Indigenous children. All proceeds of the game (approximately $1.5 million per year) are directed to community programs that commit to reducing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians in health, employment and education. This money is enhanced by further Government and corporate support, generating a further $1million per year.

All programs use Rugby League as the vehicle and are delivered by the NRL and the 16 NRL Clubs. They aim to “close the gap” between Indigenous and non Indigenous life expectancy and promote health, education and employment.