There will be three new events on the Group 11 calendar this year which will mean a huge amount to "families, culture, and communities".
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The dates have been confirmed for the Indigenous All Stars clash with Group 10, the Group 11 All Stars weekend, and the Group 11 Indigenous Round.
Wellington's Justin Toomey-White will captain-coach the Group 11 side in both of those fixtures while Kaitlyn Mason will coach the women's side.
The All Stars matches were meant to be played last year before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and resulted in all play being cancelled, but Toomey-White is delighted to see the important events locked in for 2021.
"It will be awesome. It gives others a chance to represent our families, culture and our communities and gives the All Stars boys a chance as well," he said.
"It's pleasing to be appointed the coach and this year I'll be captain-coach as well ... it will be pretty special."
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Group 11's Indigenous Round will be held in round four, the weekend of May 29 and 30, to coincide with the NRL.
The Group 11 All Stars match will be played at the end of NAIDOC Week, Saturday, July 10, adding even more prestige.
The coach of the Group 11 All Stars is yet to be confirmed but Dubbo CYMS league tag premiership winner Nic Grose has been locked in to coach the women's All Stars team.
The first representative fixture of the season will be the battle between the Group 11 and Group 10 Indigenous sides, who meet at Cowra on April 10.
Toomey-White expects all three to be bumper events, especially given the strong presence of Indigenous players in Group 11 and the major impact they have on the competition and their communities.
Rugby league plays a massive role in our communities.
- Justin Toomey-White
"We know our club has a majority of Aboriginal players and our community supports our club and the kids coming through," Toomey-White said of Wellington.
"It's a safe haven for those kids and they can come through in a safe and supportive environment until they go on and gain employment or continue playing footy.
"Rugby league plays a massive role in our communities."
The date for the matches between the Group 11 and Group 10 representative sides is also set, with the best of the two meeting in under 18s, league tag, and seniors on May 22.
Toomey-White will also captain-coach the Group 11 side on that occasion and hopes to have the best players in the competition available to take on their Group 10 rivals.
"By that time of the year we'll have a fair idea of who's paying good footy," he said.
"We'll be picking the strongest team we can. We'd love to see everyone available for those games.
"We play in one of the best Groups around so it would be awesome for the best players if they got picked."
Kaitlyn Mason will also coach the Group 11 women's side while Ben Bruce has been named to lead the junior outfit.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
