Souths Cares delivered their third Regional Tour within the space of four weeks, travelling to Cairns to facilitate Rabbitohs Wellbeing workshops and promote Rugby League in the lead-up to the Rabbitohs Round 24 NRL match against the Dragons.
On Tuesday the team were at White Rock State School, Isabella State School and St Mary's Catholic College, delivering workshops on Healthy Relationships, Rising Stars/Building Aspirations and Mental Health to over 630 participants. Students also had the opportunity to develop their Rugby League skills with the Far North Queensland NRL Development team who supported each school visit throughout the tour.
On Wednesday the team spent the day at Freshwater State School, Balaclava State School and St Francis Xavier School, engaging over 600 students in Healthy Relationships, Mental Health workshops and Rugby League Clinics.
In the afternoon, Souths Cares and the NRL development team hosted a free Junior League Clinic at Stan Williams Park, with over 200 children and youth attending to practice their league skills and learn a few tricks of trade from Souths Cares Ambassadors Yileen Gordon and Rhys Wesser. The team were joined by former Rabbitohs player George Burgess who also shared his wealth of Rugby League knowledge with the participants whom were eager to learn from the 2014 Premiership winning forward.
On Thursday the team were at St Monica's College, Parramatta State School and Whitfield State School engaging over 380 students in Healthy Relationships, Rising Stars/Building Aspirations and Mental Health workshops. Rhys Wesser's personal stories of striving for excellence during his playing career resonated strongly with students as they explored their own aspirations and the goals required to achieve their dreams.
St Monica's College Student, Molly Lord explained the workshops had provided useful strategies to implement in the future.
Molly Lord, St Monica's College Student,We learnt a lot through the Souths Cares workshops. There were some great tips about how participating in physical activity, reading and meditation each day can support your mental health and wellbeing.
With over 1,800 students engaged throughout the week from nine schools in the Cairns region, the tour was a great success and the team looks forward to the opportunity to return again. The week was capped off with a victory by the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Saturday, who defeated the St. George-Illawarra Dragons at Barlow Park to consolidate their position in the top eight.
The Rabbitohs Wellbeing Program is proudly supported by the Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation.
