If you peeked inside a community hall in Wollongong, you might see a group of athletes patiently helping students with their tough homework questions.
Their day job is to play professional rugby league for the St George Illawarra NRL Club. And for almost a decade, they’ve dedicated hours after school to helping students living in disadvantage catch up and keep up in class. The players are heroes to many of these students in this Illawarra community. As role models they can have a lifelong influence on the students’ confidence and aspirations.
Adam Bezzina, Dragons Community Manager, says players do it for many reasons. It could be their own childhood experience of poverty. It might be a simple desire to give back. Or even an interest in working with young people after their NRL careers finish.
The club is also committed to working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in this community.
