By Mary Maidiotis
The St George Illawarra Dragons visited ten schools during their St George region leg of their School Blitz on Thursday, as part of the NRL’s 15th annual Community Carnival.
The Dragons spoke to a total of 2,750 children throughout the day and focused on the theme of “Health and Wellbeing”, which encourages students to build healthy lifestyles and make positive choices regarding eating habits, nutrition, physical activity, sleep and mental health.
Dragons players Mike Cooper and Nathan Green were among the players in attendance who assisted in spreading key social messages surrounding the Carnival’s theme, as well as advising students on the benefits of playing rugby league and staying physically active.
Green, 22, who played for Renown United as a junior and now coaches an Under 9’s team himself, spoke of the rule differences for the junior leagues which cater to the safety of the younger players.
“The kids play on a smaller field with fewer number of players, there’s no contact above the armpits and there’s no pushing or lifting in a tackle,” assured Green.
“It’s very safe so your parents have peace of mind and aren’t worried about you getting hurt.
“Getting involved and playing for your local club is very enjoyable - you get to meet new people and hang out with your friends, while having fun playing and most importantly, staying physically active.”
Kids interested in playing rugby league can find their local club on PlayNRL.com with registrations now open.
The Dragons believe that making a difference in the community is extremely important and along with holding the School Blitz, recently launched their very own school diary ‘The Best You Can Be’, further reinforcing messages surrounding healthy choices.
The Dragons school diary ‘The Best You Can Be’ retails for $6.00 and can be purchased either via the Dragons Team Store (Phone: 02 9597 1966) or through R.I.C. Publications Online Store!
