Australian Idol winner Royston Noell and fellow First Nations musician Mitch Tambo will perform in a powerful one-off collaboration at the Broncos Indigenous Round clash against the Penrith Panthers on Thursday night.
The proud Indigenous artists have been announced as the headline acts for the first game of the significant round on the NRL calendar, set to unite for Tambo’s popular track “Great Southern Land” at half-time.
Game Day key information:
6:30pm Gates Open
6:45pm Mini League with Deadly Choices Teams
6:50pm Coin Toss
7:10pm Player Warm Up
7:15pm Indigenous Round Showcase Commences
Welcome to Country, performed by Shannon Ruska Yuggera-Toorabul
First Nations Performance by Tribal Experiences Aboriginal Dancers
Wagga Torres Strait Island Dance Company
Live Performance by Mitch Tambo, releasing his new track Yugal Yulu-Gi with performers from the Beyond the Broncos
7:48pm Team Walk On
Welcome to Country
7:50pm Match Kick off – Broncos v Panthers
It comes as the Broncos officially kick off Indigenous Round Week.
Noell, from Mapoon in Far North Queensland will also perform his winning track ‘Invincible’, in a moment made for inspiring young leaders of the future to chase their dreams, despite the odds, the inspiration behind his audition on the national show.
Meanwhile, Tambo will headline pre-game entertainment, launching his new single ‘Yugal Yulu-Gi’, in front of a live audience for the first time as well as providing the soundtrack for a unique performance by students involved in the Beyond the Broncos Indigenous Community Programs.
Together with the Bangarra Dance Theatre, the story behind this year’s Indigenous jersey will be brought to life in a spectacular display, with full details being kept under wraps until Thursday night.
It was Broncos Indigenous star Ezra Mam that stole the dance floor at Red Hill yesterday, spontaneously joining the Wagga Torres Strait Islander dance group during an event for staff and the playing group, to a special applause.
Mam joined Cherbourg-born teammate Selwyn Cobbo in the Aboriginal community on Saturday, alongside Indigenous league royalty Johnathan Thurston, filming a special TV segment to be aired this week as part of Channel Nine’s broadcast coverage.
The inspiring trio also unveiled this year’s ‘Journey of Young Leaders’ Indigenous Jersey to local kids in Cherbourg and Wondai, making a surprise visit to the region’s weekend footy fixtures.
Cobbo’s Cherbourg trip
Cherbourg juniors were surprised with the news they’ll play in a mini-league match before the Broncos game against the Newcastle Knights during Deadly Choices Round on June 10.
Cobbo’s grandparents, along with Mam’s mother, who lives in the Torres Strait Islands will be at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night, when Broncos legend Steve Renouf, also from the Cherbourg/Murgon region leads the team out.
A proud Deadly Choice Ambassador, Renouf and Deadly Choices have been working closely with the club for this week’s Indigenous Round, with other juniors to play before kick-off, and form the guard of honour.
The Broncos and Panthers will also take part in a cultural gift exchange, in an on-going tradition of Indigenous Round.
The Broncos Indigenous Round game-day is fast becoming a hero of the annual round, a nod to the club’s intrinsic and league-leading ties to the Indigenous culture through its playing group and award-winning Community Programs.
Students have again painted the players’ boots this year, telling the story of their heritage through artwork, several on hand at the club yesterday to show them off to media and give to their role models.
Ezra Mam’s nephews were among a group of students from Mabel Park State High who designed and created the star playmaker’s boots.
The Beyond the Broncos Programs have mentored more than 7500 participants since 2015, with almost 1500 to have graduated by the end of 2023.
Attendance rates and academic results in many Beyond the Broncos Schools far exceed national and state averages for Indigenous students, and non-Indigenous students in select schools.
Largely Government-funded, Program stakeholders were also invited to join the club at an Indigenous Round Stakeholder Breakfast on Monday at Enoggera Reserve.