SEVENTEEN Indigenous boys from Coonamble’s Clontarf Academy travelled to Sydney last week to join with eighteen other NSW academies for the annual Rugby League Games.
The feature event was the Ross Kelly Cup for under 15s, a competition that involved each Academy playing four games to allow selectors to pick a 22 man side to play on Thursday night at Leichhardt Oval.
According to Coonamble Clontarf staff members Josh Gersohn and Damien Lee, “the boys played their hearts out.”
The Coonamble side won two out of their four games and prop Josh Forgione was chosen to take the field in the final squad.
He also had the thrill of taking the first run off kick-off at Leichhardt Oval.
The Coonamble boys, from Year 8 to Year 10, took part in a dinner at North Sydney Leagues Club on the Wednesday night.
They listened to Indigenous journalist and media personality Stan Grant talk about his experiences.
The boys were proud to watch Coonamble High School and Clontarf Academy graduate Codie Welsh take the stage with rugby league stars Latrell Mitchell and Chris Smith.
The three were part of an interview session ‘on the couch’ with sports journalist Tim Sheridan
They each spoke of where they came from, how they got to where they are and gave some advice to the 330 boys in the audience.
After graduating in 2012, Cody took up a cadetship with Leighton’s Holdings and works in construction of rail and road in Sydney, including the new M4 motorway.
Another local product, Braidon Burns took time out from his duties with the South Sydney NRL club on Thursday to watch while the boys played footy and talk to them about life after high school.
While in Sydney the Clontarf crew rode the ferries and camped on Cockatoo Island which the supervising adults described as “kinda creepy” at night complete with seagulls circling the abandoned house on the hill.
Academy Director Adam Cohen said the trip was “a good leadership and team bonding experience.”
“It’s always good for the boys to get to the ‘big smoke’ and meet other Clontarf kids from around the state,” he said.
“They represented Coonamble well.”
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