The very first indigenous player to play at an international level and the very first Indigenous All-Stars captain have come together on the Gold Coast in order to unveil the new 2011 Learn.Earn.Legend! Indigenous All-Stars jersey.
As the chance to vote for the 2011 Indigenous All-Stars nears an end, Lionel Morgan, Preston Campbell and Arthur Beetson, who was the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country, have revealed their hand-prints, all of which will feature on the 2011 jersey.
Federal Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development Senator Mark Arbib, ARL Indigenous Council Chairman Mr William ‘Smiley’ Johnstone, All-Stars jersey designer Sid Domic and the ambassador for the Learn. Earn.Legend! and Titans Captain Scott Prince were also all present at the launch.
The powerful message of the hand-prints won’t be the only major design on the jersey, but the message of Learn.Earn.Legend! will also appear on the jersey with the message being delivered to the future generations of Indigenous Australians as they attempt to use the message to convince them to stay in school and to aspire for success in their place of work.
“Learn. Earn. Legend! is a joint initiative between the Federal Government and the NRL. Together we can encourage students to stay in school, training or further education so young Indigenous Australians can earn a good living, support themselves and their communities,†Senator Arbib said.
William ‘Smiley’ Johnstone, the ARL Indigenous Council Chairman said:
“The Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars is tremendously significant for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“So many fans embraced the inaugural game this year and with such a strong legacy among the community, the match has already made a positive difference to the lives of many.”
“As an Indigenous man I can think of no prouder moment than wearing a jersey and playing for my people,†Lionel Morgan said.
“The players who don the jersey come February 12, 2011 will be playing with pride and I feel very privileged that my handprint will be worn by a group of players I truly admire.â€
The colours and patterns that have been unveiled on the jersey represent the elements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, as well as representing the colours that represent the Earth, the Sun, the People and the Water.
“Uncle Lionel, Arthur and Preston have all been very active in the community, mentoring and inspiring children to work to achieve their dreams in life and this is why they have been honoured on the 2011 Indigenous All Stars jersey,†jersey artist, Sid Domic, said.
Fans still have until 11:59pm AEDT on November 10 to choose their team and take part in the only representative match in Australian sport in which the public selects the players in each side.
Indigenous All Stars voting overview:
– Fans to vote for 16 players from the eligible player list
– ARL Indigenous Council selects captain as an automatic selection
– Indigenous All Stars selectors choose the three remaining players at the conclusion of public voting
– Public voting closes at 11:59pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 10.
Voting for stage one of the NRL All Stars side will commence at Midday AEDT on November 10, 2010. The NRL All Stars team will automatically include the Australian and New Zealand Test captains, with 16 of the remaining positions determined by public vote and two determined by NRL All Stars selectors. The pre-requisite for the NRL All Stars is that one player from each NRL team must feature in the 16 players voted by the public.
The 2010 All Stars match was a sell out and the 2011 match is on track for a similar result, with less than 6,000 tickets available more than three months out from the game.
2011 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars Ticket Categories and Prices
Category 1
Adult $95.00
Concession $75.00
Junior $65.00
Family $255.00
Category 2
Adult $60.00
Concession $45.00
Junior $35.00
Family $155.00
Category 3
Adult $30.00
Concession $25.00
Junior $20.00
Family $80.00.
Tickets are available through Ticketek outlets, on 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au. New Zealand customers can call 0800 842 538 or +61 132 849