The Suncorp Super Netball League has launched the 2022 First Nations Round which will be celebrated across rounds 12 and 13.
The GIANTS will host a dedicated First Nations round at home this weekend when they host the Adelaide Thunderbirds on Sunday, May 29 at Ken Rosewall Arena.
This year’s dedicated round and corresponding activity focuses on raising awareness, celebrating and understanding the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to netball and the nation.
Yet to reveal their dress for 2022, the GIANTS will participate in a smoking ceremony and welcome to country as they launch and reveal their fifth indigenous dress on Thursday.
Krystal Dallinger is the designer behind the dress yet again, having been a part of the celebration and education process since the inaugural dedicated round in 2018.
The GIANTS’ regular season dress also has ongoing representation of the indigenous culture and history, with artwork from Dallinger featured on the top of the back of the dress. The same artwork is featured on the front of the GIANTS’ 2021 crew seat and 2022 hoodie.
As part of the round’s celebrations and activity, the GIANTS will once again host a curtain raiser match featuring a Netball NSW First Nations All-Stars side.
In the second year of the initiative to highlight, support and promote First Nations talent, the representative side will play against the GIANTS Academy with gates opening at 2:15pm and first centre pass getting underway at 2:20pm.
Other game day activity will include performances from the Jannawi Dance clan.
This year the dedicated round has been renamed from Indigenous Round to respectfully encompass and acknowledge the diversity of First Nations cultures, people and identities of Australia.
The round is split over two weeks so all eight Suncorp Super Netball clubs can showcase their engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in front of their home crowds.
The League and all eight clubs will celebrate and highlight stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples involved in our sport across First Nations Round.
This year’s match balls will feature custom artwork created by Yorta-Yorta/Wurundjeri woman Simone Thomson. The artwork, titled Winyar Yuringa (Women of the Sun), will also be included on the umpires’ uniforms.
The round coincides with National Reconciliation Week from May 27 to June 3. This year’s theme, “Be Brave. Make Change.” is a challenge to all Australians — individuals, families, communities, organisations and government — to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation to Make Change for the benefit of all Australians.
Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan said First Nations Round was an important feature of the Suncorp Super Netball fixture.
“We acknowledge and celebrate the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on,” Ryan said.
“First Nations Round provides a platform to celebrate and reflect on the incredible contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the sport of netball and the nation.
“Netball Australia, alongside its member organisations and the Suncorp Super Netball clubs, is committed to fostering and strengthening inclusion and diversity in our game – from the grassroots level to pathways and the elite competition.”
Tickets to the GIANTS' First Nations Round this Sunday, can be purchased via Ticketek.
