Thanks to the Bush to Posts program, the dream of watching the Sydney Roosters in action at the hallowed Sydney Cricket Ground for students living in the northwest of NSW was realised on Thursday night.
A host of students from remote areas in northwest New South Wales including Bourke, Lightning Ridge and Cobar were rewarded for their efforts throughout the semester both in and away from the classroom as they were given the opportunity to be in the stands at a live NRL match at the Roosters' home ground.
The students also formed the guard of honour as their heroes ran out onto the famous turf, and were able to meet and greet squad members prior to the Round 21 match in what was a unique and memorable experience.
Detective Inspector of the Central North Police District, Paul Quigg, spoke about how the Bush to Posts program came to life.
“A lot of the time, these kids don’t go to school, but they love their Rugby League so we came up with the concept,” he said.
“I touched base with the Club through Anthony Minichiello – who I also had an association with the Italian Rugby League side – and we came up with a partnership between the Central North Police District and the Sydney Roosters.
“We wanted to give these kids an opportunity to come down to a game while teaching them the benefits of school attendance and making the right decisions in life. We’ve managed to do a lot of that through their love of Rugby League.
“These kids do it tough, and sometimes, unfortunately, they might only have one parent, sometimes their diet and nutrition aren’t the best and some struggle with education, so we’re running our program to enable them to build brighter futures for them as they grow up.
“We’re trying to guide them to finish their secondary education so they can put themselves in a position to find a career after school.”
Quigg says that the results have been overwhelmingly positive since the program began, evidenced as a bus full of students made their way to Sydney to enjoy the bright lights and of course, the Rugby League.
“They’ve come in leaps and bounds,” he beamed.
“A lot of the children here didn’t like going to school and they didn’t like doing their homework, so this program gave them something to strive towards.
“The teachers have it tough like a number of emergency services out in remote communities. There are smaller amounts of police, paramedics, doctors and teachers.
“Unfortunately, the teacher-to-school ratio is not the best and a lot of the classes are combined, so it can be very difficult at times – but thanks to this program, the kids have been doing their homework and have been attending class.
“Once they start doing their homework, they quickly realise that it’s something that needs to be done to put them in a position to succeed in life. Their attitude, manners and their interaction with staff have come in leaps and bounds.
Once they start doing their homework, they quickly realise that it’s something that needs to be done to put them in a position to succeed in life. Their attitude, manners and their interaction with staff have come in leaps and bounds.
Paul Quigg Detective Inspector, Central North Police District
“For a lot of them, it’s the first time they’ve been to Sydney, and even over the Blue Mountains. You love to see their faces and it’s great to see that.
“They really appreciate the Roosters for supporting the program. Hopefully, we can make a really positive difference in their lives.”
One of the success stories from the program was Roosters fanatic Quintin Bolton - who spends much of his time emulating James Tedesco for the Lightning Ridge Redbacks.
The fourteen-year-old Gamillaraay man says that the hard work was made all the more sweeter as he witnessed his beloved Tricolours claim a 34-16 win over the Broncos up in the Victor Trumper stand, and encouraged his peers to sign up to the program.
It’s been great,” Quintin said.
“The program is run well. I’ve gotten enjoyment out of it and plenty of learning as well. It’s helped me a lot with my homework.
“I knew I had to work hard to get here. It was a good feeling when I was told I’d be watching a live game of footy between the Roosters and Broncos.
“I knew I had to start working hard to get here. It’s definitely been worth it, every second of it. It’s amazing. I never thought I’d be able to do it.
“I’d say to them just to put their head down and work towards it. Once you do it, you’ll be so happy that you did it.”
