This year’s Indigenous women’s team trained for just the second time over the weekend - coming from as far as the Torres Strait for a three-day boot camp in Sydney.
The team’s captain, and 2016 NRL Community Ambassador, Tallisha Harden says it was an important session.
"Just working on those things that I guess we can't do if we're not together.
“Like defensive systems, and I guess really getting to know the ins and outs of everyone's game,” she says.
The women are getting prepared for their match against the All-stars women’s team, which will be one of three curtain raiser matches ahead of the men's showdown in Brisbane on February 13th.
The game is part of the NRL’s All-Stars week, which celebrates Indigenous contribution to the game.
This year the main match has added significance, falling on the anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations.
The NRL’s General Manager for Indigenous Programs, Mark deWeerd, says it has a personal meaning for some of the players.
“A number of them have a history of Stolen Generations in their families.
“So you know, it's personal for them, and they're all excited and looking forward to getting out there on the 13th of Feb,” he said.
Nearly 200,000 women and girls play rugby league across Australia- of them about nine percent are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
