NRL marks commemoration with Australian War Memorial partnership

Coinciding with the ANZAC Centenary commemorations the National Rugby League (NRL) has announced a four-year partnership with the Australian War Memorial.

The partnership will see the NRL will work closely with the Australian War Memorial to ensure the ANZAC Centenary is respectfully commemorated every year to 2018.

The work will include teaching players and staff about rugby league’s links with military efforts throughout the past 100 years, helping to honour servicemen and women past and present.

Ahead of the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, the partnership was announced at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra on Tuesday (21st April) by NRL Chief Executive Dave Smith and alongside AWM Director Dr Brendan Nelson.

They were joined by representatives from NRL clubs Sydney Roosters, St George Illawarra, the Warriors, Melbourne, Canberra, South Sydney, Cronulla, Wests Tigers, Parramatta and Penrith, along with players from the Australian Jillaroos, the NZ Kiwi Ferns, the Junior Kangaroos and the Junior Kiwis.

The relationship between the NRL and AWM includes:

• The AWM will help run an education program for NRL players and staff so they gain a greater understanding of the ANZAC Centenary and the contributions rugby league made throughout the 100 years of service.
• The AWM will provide the NRL’s Heroes & Legends Museum access to its collection to assist in researching rugby league identities who participated in military efforts.
• The AWM and NRL will work together to identify individual stories involving rugby league identities and share information to bring their stories to life. This will assist in raising awareness of, and paying tribute to, the many thousands who have fought and died on the field of battle.

Smith said the formal partnership with the Australian War Memorial was a powerful way for the code to help honour Australia's defence forces.

He explained “central to this partnership will be an exchange of information, a sharing of stories and our rugby league community gaining a greater understanding of the contributions our own family has made to military efforts over the past 100 years.

“We will work together on initiatives over the next four years that will further enhance the community’s understanding of the sacrifice of our servicemen and women over the last 100 years and, in that way, pay tribute to those who served.

“This is one time in our season when the football merely plays a bit part and rightly so. To be able to play even a small role in these broader commemorations of ANZAC Day is significant enough, but to be able to do that with the assistance of the Australian War Memorial is an honour.”

Dr Nelson said the partnership between the Memorial and the NRL provided an opportunity for the code to commemorate the First World War Centenary commemorations with hundreds of thousands of supporters around Australia.

Dr Nelson stated “this is a time when all Australians should reflect and feel proud about the commitment and sacrifice of our servicemen and women over more than 100 years.

“The Memorial is pleased to be working with the game of rugby league to highlight these commemorations and respectfully observe them on ANZAC Day.”

This year, the NRL has been working closely with the Australian Defence Force, the RSL and Australian War Memorial on a 10-day Anzac Centenary commemorative program, which will stretch across Round 8 of the NRL Premiership – the ANZAC Round – and into the Representative Round, which includes the ANZAC Test Match between Australia and New Zealand.

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