Cricket ACT is proud to partner with Corroboree Group for this season’s Reconciliation Round, taking place across all grades of ACT Premier Cricket on Saturday, 13 December.
The round is a meaningful opportunity for the cricket community to deepen its commitment to reconciliation, acknowledge the significance of First Nations cultures, and celebrate the role sport plays in bringing people together.
Cricket ACT CEO Olivia Thornton says the partnership marks an important step forward in the organisation’s reconciliation journey.
“This is the first time that we have partnered with Corroboree Group, but we do have an affiliation through Manuka where Corroboree Group are the naming rights partner, which is special to us all.”
“We are relatively young in our reconciliation journey, and partnering with groups and people like Jim and Corroboree Group allows us to continue to advocate, raise awareness and use our platform in sport to embed First Nations cultures within our cricket community.”
“We certainly have work to do - we have a small First Nations playing population - but we are committed to ensuring our game is genuinely a sport for all. We look forward to this partnership and to Reconciliation Round, which is a really important part of our cricketing calendar.”
Corroboree Group CEO Jim Andriopoulos says the organisation’s involvement is driven by a long-term commitment to Indigenous employment and community empowerment.
“For us, the partnership is a very exciting time. We love supporting any sport, any code. Our focus as Corroboree Group is Pathways to Indigenous Employment, and sport is one of our main ways of finding people to participate in those programs.”
“Sport isn’t a forever career for most people, so having a pathway into employment is important. Investing in Indigenous rounds helps us identify people who want to progress a career in another form. It brings communities together and builds networks that matter to us and what we’re trying to achieve.”
Weston Creek Molonglo Cricket Club player, Djali Bloomfield, says the round provides an important platform for reflection, education and connection across the cricket community.
“Being Indigenous, it’s great to have these sorts of rounds and recognition from Cricket ACT. It helps start conversations within clubs and shows how cricket can pull people together - not just Indigenous communities but multicultural communities as well.”
“We still have a long way to go, but initiatives like this - supported by Corroboree Group and others - make people stop and think about what they can do to help Indigenous communities and give back.”
As part of the partnership, each Premier Cricket club will receive a specially designed Indigenous-artwork middle stumps, created to reflect and share the story of the Corroboree Group. These stumps will take pride of place across all matches, serving as a visible and unifying symbol of the round’s purpose.
Artist: Nioka Nalder
In the week leading up to Reconciliation Round, Cricket ACT will host a Smoking Ceremony at EPC Solar Park. This movement reinforces the cricket community’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation, inviting participants from all Premier Clubs to attend as a way of grounding the round in connection, respect and cultural learning.
“It’s another conversation piece that helps people immerse themselves in Indigenous culture and understand how Indigenous communities welcome others. On the field you’re all working toward a common goal, and we can take that sense of unity into the wider community too.” Bloomfield said about the smoking ceremony.
Cricket ACT’s partnership with Corroboree Group reflects a shared commitment to long-term change, community connection and meaningful inclusion. Reconciliation Round is not just a date on the calendar, it is an ongoing call to learn, reflect and work together.
Cricket ACT encourages all players, officials, volunteers and supporters to embrace the round’s purpose and celebrate the cultural strength and diversity that enriches our game.