Wellington Soldiers Club to Help Send Indigenous League Team to Vegas

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There are few better ways to bring cultures together than through sport — and for many Indigenous Australians, rugby league is a big part of theirs.

The Wellington Wedgetails Rugby League team, comprising some of the best Indigenous Australian talent in the state’s Central West, are proof of this.

Thanks to a generous grant from Wellington Soldiers Club, they will soon head off on a special cultural trip to Las Vegas.

The Wedgetails applied and were approved to participate in the NRL Las Vegas 9's competition scheduled for 27 and 28 February.

But this adventure is more than just another reason to play footy, it also serves as a great opportunity to see the meeting of Indigenous cultures from both Australia and the United States ahead of the NRL round one matches in “Sin City”.

The team will visit a First Nations reserve in the Las Vegas region and meet with local Native Americans.

To help them get to America, the Wellington Soldiers Club has stepped in with generous funding.

“We granted them $15,000,” says Wellington Soldiers Club General Manager Stephen Hodge.

"“They have to raise money for themselves as well. They've got to put in $1000.

“It's one of those things that should be supported. It's not just to go over and play a game of football. It's a cultural thing as well and a learning process. It's a big thing for them and it's a big thing for the town.”

This prestigious event will gather great talent from around the globe, including multiple USA-based teams, providing a unique platform to showcase the skills and resilience of Wellington’s Indigenous athletes.

Each team competing in the tournament will also be allocated 20 tickets for the NRL matches at Allegiant Stadium. So, the Wedgetails will also get the opportunity to watch indigenous NRL superstars such as Nico Hynes and Daine Laurie in action.

Wedgetails President Nathan Towney says the Club applied to take part in the tournament after another footy and trip and the meeting of cultures in matches against Māori teams in New Zealand.

“That was very special, we will remember that for a long time,” Nathan says of the tour of New Zealand.

“But we didn’t want to stop there. We keep thinking of what's possible, we thought we'd put it out there.”

Later this year, rugby league teams from Wellington in New Zealand will visit Wellington in NSW, for more games and more education about each country’s culture.