warriors caps coming from sarah.WHEN the New Zealand Warriors Rugby League team beat Melbourne Storm in a tense game in Melbourne recently, it was with the resounding support of 27 students from Cranbourne Secondary College.
The students, who were mostly from the New Zealand and Pacific islands communities, were guests of the Warriors for the evening on Saturday, 19 August.
Through a connection of teacher Allen Burton, the Warriors donated 30 tickets to enable several staff and pupils to attend.
A spokesperson from the Warriors said the team was pleased to be able to support the efforts of teachers and staff at Cranbourne Secondary School in finding ways to connect with and inspire young people.
“Sport is an integral part of a community, even a dispersed community such as the Polynesian community throughout the Pacific, and an opportunity for the Warriors to feel a connection with young people in Cranbourne is as valuable to them as it is to the students,” the spokesperson said.
“We understand the ongoing efforts that are made by the school to communicate and connect and we hope that our contribution adds value to this process.”
After the game the students met with team and management from the Warriors and the players signed autographs.
Mr Burton said the students were enthusiastic about the game and the opportunity to meet the players.
“The Warriors were great. Just being able to go a bit further for these students and enabling them to connect with elite sportspeople can be a turning point for some kids. The win was a bonus,” he said.
Mr Burton said Cranbourne Secondary College was working on a variety of strategies to inspire young people and give them a greater sense of belonging to their community and pride in their school.
He said the school would continue to seek ways to engage students with the extended communities to which they belong.
