RFNC

CLUB IS A SHINING LIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY

Rumbalara Football Netball Club symbolises the aspiration of all of those who contribute and those who are influenced.

In a world of cultural oppression, the RFNC flickers like a strong firelight — it illuminates our individual strengths and weaknesses as well as challenging the design of social, economic and spiritual constructs that are both historical and generational. The RFNC is assisting us in not only imagining the future but being active in making that future real. The RFNC brings out the best of who we are and inspires us to be the best we can be. Twenty-one years, 21 pre-seasons and 21 seasons of going to battle, this year has been a great year as well as being challenging on the netball and football scoreboards.

Unfortunately, we did not get the results we wanted on the football field and netball court but our coaching, support staff and players did an admiral job being competitive. We have a strong foundation to build on for the 2018 season. The club has been active over the year and was successful in securing the Algabonyah Employment Broker contract.
The exciting part of this contract is the commitment by employers to establishing a two per cent Indigenous workforce.

In partnership with this robust approach to jobs, is the club’s highly successful Academy of Sport Health and Education (ASHE) established in partnership with University of Melbourne and GOTAFE. This year ASHE had in excess of 90 students enrolled in various disciplines, many graduating this year in VCAL and with certificates. In keeping with the pursuit of education and knowledge, four of our club members, two of which are board members, are completing their respective PhDs.

Skills acquisition is also being achieved by the active participation in strong leadership development with individual representation in the Jawun, Wesfarmers and University of Melbourne leadership programs, as well as about 25 emerging leaders in our own Algabonyah leadership program. Four of the Algabonyah leadership participants have joined with four from Goulburn Valley Water’s emerging leaders in a program that looks at our community’s relationship to water.

During this year we have, in partnership with Polyglot Theatre, run an arts program at the club on home games throughout the season that has been hugely successful in exposing kids to learn expression through the arts. A signature outcome was Rumba Radio broadcasting our football games and kids calling and interviewing. The street arts have also been recognised by the City of Shepparton as bringing positive kids’ culture and expression to the streets of Shepparton.

The Unity Cup, driving social connection and focusing on respect of the role of women in our community, was again a huge success. More than 250 women and girls took part in the smoking ceremony and walk of solidarity across the Rumba football ground through a guard of honour made by the footballers, men and boys of both Rumba and Congupna football clubs. The RFNC also hosted the 10th Dungala Kaiela Oration, arguably the biggest to date, with more than 250 in attendance.

Leading Australian academic, Professor Marcia Langton from University of Melbourne, delivered an insightful lecture on the future of Indigenous peoples and the critical role of education and knowledge acquisition across society. Her oration highlighted the success of our leadership, empowerment and achievements. The annual Dungala Kaiela Writing Awards also showcased and celebrated creative writing and the use of Yorta Yorta language in stories, poems and articles.

We share our beautiful facilities with others and this year RFNC opened its doors to 45 community and sporting groups. If you put that with managing 300 people across 13 teams of football and netball including volunteers, over an active 10-month period, inclusive of pre-season programming, NAIDOC Week, Dreamtime at the G, Unity Cup and the grand final, it has been a fantastic gathering of our people sharing our families and culture and our social and relationship-building with non-Aboriginal people over a sustained institutional time.

This year, with the support of the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Helen McPherson Smith Trust, we engaged KPMG Australia to undertake a sustainability report on the future economic viability of the RFNC. This report will be implemented over the coming 2018 season. I have identified many highlights of the past 2017 season and without doubt, we were all pretty excited to put a successful submission to the Murray Football League to host our league’s premier event.

Thank you for your contribution, we are looking forward to a successful 2018 season.

Paul Briggs

President

#YakamaRumba

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Murray Football Netball League