Northern communities learn from NRL State of Mind visit

While accessing the full range of mental health services might not always be an option in remote communities, the NRL is committed to do their part to help provide tips and tools to increase wellbeing.

Established in 2016, the NRL State Mind programs deliver a range of targeted educational workshops to help people across Australia to develop tools to improve their mental fitness and increase social and emotional wellbeing.

The NRL State of Mind team and ambassadors recently undertook trips to northern Australia, visiting local primary and high schools as well as rugby league clubs, helping to deliver the Mental Health Through Rugby League workshops.

Former NRL players Trent Hodkinson and Sia Soliola headed to Darwin, with Brad Takairangi and Tallisha Harden making the trek to the remote Tiwi Islands, off the northern tip of the Northern Territory.

Other towns visited this year include Wilcannia, Broken Hill, Darwin, Inverell, Bega, Wagga and Whalan. 

“I had an amazing time up in the Tiwi Islands and felt incredibly grateful to both the ljmpta.community team and the Tiwi Islands community for the opportunity,” Harden said.

“It was great to connect and build relationships, using rugby league as a way to start conversations and have fun throwing the footy around.”

Harden, a proud Torres Strait Islander woman who is both the Indigenous All Stars and Cowboys NRLW co-captain, said the visit to the islands was also enlightening for her to learn more about culture and to connect with the predominately Indigenous population in the area to discuss mental health.

“From learning about Tiwi culture and history to spending time with the kids at school and engaging with the wider community, it was a rewarding experience and something I’ll never forget,” Harden said.  

The strength of the program is the way it aligns with the values and goals of the community spaces it visits by incorporating hands-on, inclusive and culturally respectful engagement that encourages strong community partnerships.

The workshops aim to increase mental health literacy, reduce stigma around mental illness, and foster environments where healthy conversations around mental wellbeing are normalised and encouraged.

“The State of Mind program promotes values like resilience, support, and gratitude which really align with what schools are already teaching,” Harden said.

“Every child learns differently, and the combination of classroom lessons and sport can be a powerful way to teach these values in a more engaging way.

“When you mix in fun and physical activity, those lessons often become lasting and positive memories.”