ELIZABETH FRIAS
MORE local kids playing competitive rugby league, especially young girls, is part of a recently stamped $1.15M partnership between Parramatta City Council and the city’s sporting pride, the Eels.
The agreement specifically targets free rugby league clinics offered to thousands of local kids, building up teams of young girls from multicultural communities and supporting scholarships for women in Western Sydney.
The Eels’ NRLW playing jersey will also feature the city’s marketing brand, ‘Parramatta – where’s it at’ aiming to popularise the city as a global visitor destination through rugby as a leading sport participated by both men and women.
Funding involves $1.15M over the next three years while The Eels contributes $600,000 in a joint staging of major events across the city.
Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Pierre Esber said the partnership was about two of the city’s biggest organisations working together to amplify efforts to make Parramatta the launching pad of future sporting greats from its diverse community.
“It will give thousands more kids the chance to participate in free player clinics, give young girls from multicultural backgrounds the chance to try rugby league for the first time and give a helping hand to women in our community to follow their dreams and inspire others to follow theirs,” Cr Esber said.
“We’re not just growing participation in sport, we want to grow the reputation of our city as a destination that more people want to visit and ensure that when they do visit, they stay longer and experience all our city has to offer.
“Council is firmly focused on delivering on the needs of our resident and business ratepayers, whether that’s local infrastructure, investing in initiatives that drive economic activity or grow our arts, culture and sport, making Parramatta the best place to live.”
Parramatta Eels chief executive officer Jim Sarantinos said the partnership would build on the Eels’ current program of community engagement within the Parramatta LGA and their funding of participation by young boys and girls across all forms of rugby league.
“We are pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with the City of Parramatta and together, we look forward to delivering strong outcomes for our community,” he said.
“Our partnership will result in thousands of local kids and multicultural communities benefiting from holiday clinics, school programs and participation events across the LGA.
“We want as many young people to get the opportunity to get involved in our game as possible and experience the enjoyment that sport provides this partnership will play a big part in delivering this.”
Mr Sarantinos said The Eels has a strong focus on supporting the growth of women’s sport from grassroots through to the elite level.
“We have seen in excess of 100 percent growth in junior female participation in the last three years and this partnership will importantly see the city become a major partner of our NRLW and help to grow our women’s rugby league program.”
“Parramatta is a great city which we are very proud to represent, a city with enormous potential and we look forward to working with the Council to promote Parramatta to a large national audience and co-invest on major events that will drive strong visitation and economic impact across Parramatta.”
The partnership includes programs such as Rising Women of Western Sydney scholarship in their chosen field, free clinics in 18 primary schools, holiday clinics for students, and NRL Multicultural Round introducing promising young girls from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
