St.George Queensland Reds unveil Indigenous Round jersey designed by program participant
The St.George Queensland Reds today unveiled their Indigenous Round Jersey, designed by program participant Janita Langton, for this Friday’s clash against the Brumbies.
Langton, 15, has been a member of Queensland Rugby Union’s ‘Future Indigenous Leaders Program’ for five years and will shortly transition into the ‘Reds Generation Next’ program.
Langton is from Cherbourg and is a proud Ewamian woman. She is currently in Year 11 at Murgon State High School.
“I’ve been part of the Reds program since I was in Year 7 at Cherbourg State School,” Langton said.
“I was part of the jersey presentation to the Reds last year and it inspired me to want to design this year’s jersey. I’m really proud of what I achieved. I’m speechless to be able to design a jersey that I’ll see the Reds play in. I’m just really happy.
“For the jersey design, I used Torres Strait, Aboriginal and Australian colours to represent all of us as we all come together.
“The five big circles represent us all gathering as a family. The red circle represents the genes of us people, the reddish-brown dots on the outside represents the earth we are standing on and the blue represents the sea.”
As part of her involvement in the program and in recognition of her artwork, Langton has also received a bursary from the Office of the Commonwealth Games.
Acting Minister for Education and Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Commonwealth Games Grace Grace said the Queensland Government was extremely proud of its involvement in the Queensland Reds Indigenous Bursary Program and the talent it fosters, like this year’s winner, Langton.
“Janita has shown great talent and was chosen as this year’s successful bursary winner for her design of the 2017 Queensland Reds Indigenous Round jersey,’’ Grace said.
‘‘While completing her schooling at Murgon State High School, Janita has also taken part in the Queensland Reds Future Indigenous Program since 2013, and will this year transition into the Reds Generation Next Program.
‘‘We are proud to provide support to this initiative through the Embracing2018 Legacy Program and we can’t wait to see Janita’s magnificent jersey design take to the field on Friday night.”
Langton recently took injured Reds captain James Slipper on a tour of Cherbourg, to show him the good work being done in the community as part of the Reds Indigenous Program.
“I was really nervous to take him on a tour but it was a lot of fun to show him my community,” she said.
The Indigenous Round match coincides with NAIDOC Week, an opportunity to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements. It is also a chance to recognize the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our society.
As part of the Reds Indigenous Round, members of the Future Indigenous Leaders Program have traveled to Brisbane from Woorabinda, Yarrabah and Cherbourg to take part in a range of activities throughout the week, with a focus on developing their leadership qualities through a range of aspirational activities.
Program participants will also present the specially-designed Indigenous Round jerseys to the match-day 23 at the team’s captain’s run on Thursday.
They will also take part in NAIDOC Week celebrations at Musgrave Park on Friday, before heading to Suncorp Stadium to watch the Reds take on the Brumbies.
Since the introduction of the Indigenous Round Jersey in 2012, the Queensland Reds Indigenous Program has experienced significant growth.
Queensland Rugby Union’s Head of Participation Reg Tayler said: “Indigenous Round is an important moment in the St.George Queensland Reds season and a significant milestone in the Queensland Rugby Union’s annual calendar of events.
“the Queensland Rugby Union is committed to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in our community and it’s fantastic to see the growth of our participants every year, as they progress through the program.”
The 2017 Reds Indigenous Round has added significance as it comes just a month after Queensland Rugby Union launched its Reconciliation Action Plan.
The Indigenous Round match will also see the awarding of the Frank Ivory Medal to the Reds player of the match. The medal is named after Queensland’s first Indigenous player.
The Indigenous Round match-day jerseys will be auctioned at www.redsrugby.com.au to raise funds for the Reds Foundation.
The Reds face the Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium on Friday 7 July. Tickets are available at www.redsrugby.com.au.
The Queensland Reds Future Indigenous Leaders Program is made possible through the support of Rio Tinto. Reds Generation Next is supported by the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Note to editors:
Queensland Reds Indigenous Program at a glance
Program outcomes
- 3 communities (Cherbourg, Woorabinda, Yarrabah)
- 26 schools
- 85 participants
- 55,655 mentor to participant contact hours, including the leadership camps
- 100% primary to high school transition rate
- 92% school attendance for participating students in 2015 up 6% from 2013
- 92% program retention rate
Reds Generation Next Program at a glance
The Reds Generation Next Program (formerly Learn Earn Legend!) was first established in partnership with the Australian Government in 2012. The initial program included 40 participants across 10 schools in the Greater Brisbane region. Working with Year 11 and Year 12 participants, the program aims to address the following Close the Gap targets:
- to halve the gap in reading, writing and numeracy achievements for Indigenous children within a decade
- to halve the gap for Indigenous students in Year 12 equivalent attainment by 2020
- to halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade
Reds Generation Next (RGN) works with students through the later stages of high school focusing on improving school attendance and retention rates as well as Year 12 or equivalent attainment. The program also centers on building aspiration and transition opportunities by continuing to mentor and support students in their preferred pathway for their first-year post school graduation.
Using our corporate notebook of over 300 businesses, education and training institutes, the program aims to closely align and provide opportunities for the participants to achieve their dreams.
Today’s program has expanded from the initial Brisbane region delivery to encompass 13 schools across Central and South Queensland, aligning with the programming of the wider Queensland Reds Indigenous Program.
Since 2012, over 260 participants have been part of the program and benefitted from the mentoring provided by our specialist staff.
Through the relationships built and the opportunities provided by the program, RGN has delivered the following outcomes since its inception: –
- 99% Year 12 graduation
- 92% successful transition to employment or further education
These figures reflect the program’s exceptional outcomes when compared to Education Queensland’s 2016 Next Step Report finding that only 71.4% of 2015 Indigenous Year 12 graduates had transitioned into further education or commenced employment.
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