Rio Tinto welcomes Woomeras recruits to Melbourne

Rio Tinto is proud to be supporting the AFL Indigenous female Woomeras program in Melbourne this week.

Rio Tinto is the principal partner of the AFL’s Indigenous Programs and the partnership provides the opportunity for the Indigenous women to compete at the national youth girls championships in April

The Woomeras team is a national under-18 female indigenous development program that immerses participants in an elite training environment with the aim of increasing football, personal development and leadership skills.

Rio Tinto’s Managing Director Australia Joanne Farrell said "We are very proud to be supporting the Rio Tinto Woomeras program and AFL Diversity Championships. The young women in this program will become the next generation of Indigenous role models as they continue to follow in the footsteps of Woomeras recruits Tayla Thorn and Shaleise Law into the Womens AFL league.

"The AFL has the power to create positive social change, shift attitudes and help set the social agenda in Australia, with a captive audience of passionate supporters of the game and members of the clubs.

"Rio Tinto and the AFL are committed to supporting the on and off field aspirations of young and talented Indigenous women from around the country. We want to help our Indigenous sports stars strive for success on the field, in the classroom, in the workplace and in their communities."

Rio Tinto is one of Australia’s largest employers of Indigenous people, employing over 1500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders across the nation.