Telstra doubles down on support for country footy

After two decades of supporting footy with NRL and AFL, Telstra has announced it will be expanding its focus to country footy, with plans to help grow and sustain pathways for regional clubs and provide opportunities for young players via two initiatives, one across both codes.

The first initiative, announced today with the NRL, is the launch of the NRL Telstra Footy Country Tour, a program kicking off on 6 September that aims to increase participation in regional areas and inspire the next generation of footy players. 

Running throughout September, in the lead up to the Grand Final on 1st October, the tour gives regional kids and community clubs rare access to star players, elite coaching clinics, digital coding workshops, resiliency talks and health and wellbeing sessions, to deepen the development of new skills and progress their game.

Telstra Footy Country Tour Ambassador, NRL Star Sam Thaiday says “Growing up as a kid in Townsville, footy was my life and kept me motivated, happy and connected with friends. Through grassroots programs like this, we’re often seeing kids being lured back to school for the first time in months to get involved in the game. It shows just how important these kinds of initiatives are for kid’s physical and mental health and wellbeing.”

Telstra, who has a longstanding commitment to regional Australia beyond the playing field, are looking to leverage their existing sponsorships to dial up the focus on country clubs, not only to support clubs and pathways for young kids, but to celebrate the beating heart of footy – country footy.  

“For me growing up, the footy club was core to our community, it was everything to me. It goes far beyond those players on match day – it’s about the army of fans, volunteers and supporters who come back week after week to make sure the club keeps running. This is worth celebrating and I’m excited to be working with Telstra to help give country footy the credit and support it deserves,” said Thaiday. 

Telstra Executive, Michael Ackland says, “At Telstra, we love footy, and we know it plays such a profound role in Australia’s culture and sense of identity. It defines our competitive nature, our sense of mateship and the importance of community. It’s in our country towns where this relationship with community runs deepest and it’s in desperate need of support." 

“The health benefits of team sport are well documented, including positive impacts on kids’ mental health and cognitive development. The sense of community built by team sport is particularly apparent in the bush where sport like footy drives connection and creates a meeting place for people who live across larger distances. That’s why Telstra is committed to investing in country footy and we hope to see continued growth for years to come,” said Ackland. 

The NRL Telstra Footy Country Tour will engage with over 55 schools and clubs, approximately 10,000 kids and regional community participants across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, kicking off on Wednesday 6 September in the remote community of Aurukun, North Queensland and ending at the 2023 NRL Telstra Grand Final at Accor Stadium in Sydney.

As part of the tour, there will be photo opportunities with the Provan-Summons trophy and the NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership trophy. Clubs and schools on the tour will be given a rugby league pack filled with new gear to help equip and inspire the next generation nationally.   

Telstra and the NRL will also be offering regional schools a ‘once in a lifetime experience’ at Finals games and the Grand Final, including playing a pre-match game on the field during the Final Series matches, the guard of honour as the players run out, present the Premiership rings at the Grand Final to the winning men’s and women’s team.

In addition to the NRL Telstra Footy Country Tour, Telstra will be bringing back the Telstra Junior Club Grants initiative - a total of $216,000 worth of grants to 72 country clubs across Australia.  That’s $3,000 per club. All players, across NRL and NRLW, playing at the Grand Final will play for a selected Australian rugby league country club. The clubs will be selected by the NRL, with a focus on clubs that need it most, and the funds will go towards player development, including new sporting equipment and registration fees.  To highlight its extensive commitment to regional footy, Telstra will make a second major announcement with the AFL on 14 September. 

For more information on the NRL Telstra Footy Country Tour visit: https://www.nrl.com/telstra-footy-country.