Rio Tinto brings Indigenous All Stars camp to Western Australia

Rio Tinto is pleased to be supporting the AFL and AFL Players’ Association Indigenous All Stars camp in Western Australia this week.

Rio Tinto is the principal partner of the AFL’s Indigenous Programs and the partnership provides the opportunity for the Indigenous All Stars camp to be held in Broome.

The camp will enable engagement with Aboriginal people from the Kimberley region and provide an opportunity for Indigenous footballers to bond through player-led cultural development sessions, football training and traditional activities with local communities.

Fifty-five Indigenous players from 15 AFL clubs will take part in the four-day camp that will focus on personal and cultural development as well as industry education. The cultural development sessions will identify and discuss the particular dynamics of AFL and club culture and the intersection with Indigenous people’s lives.

Rio Tinto managing director Australia Joanne Farrell said "Rio Tinto is proud to be playing a significant role in showcasing Australian rules football to regional and rural areas and building closer ties between Indigenous people, the AFL and business.

"The All Stars camp is a great AFL initiative to take the game closer to Indigenous communities and encourage young men and women to get involved," she said. "Through the power of AFL football, we want to help motivate young indigenous people to be engaged in education, training and employment."

Rio Tinto’s sponsorship for the AFL’s Indigenous Programs helps to support the Kickstart Championships, Flying Boomerangs, Woomeras, Footy Means Business, AFL Indigenous All-Stars and the AFL Indigenous Round and Dreamtime at the ‘G.

As part of a range of activities during the camp, Rio Tinto’s local stakeholders and employees will be taking part in a community BBQ and employees will be taking their children to a special footy clinic in Broome.

Rio Tinto is one of Australia’s largest employers of Indigenous people.