The Mid-North Coast Rugby Referees Association have designed and worn a First Nation kit throughout their rugby season, dedicated to paying respects to the individual language groups of the Gumbaynggir, Dunghutti, Birpai and Worimi peoples.
Inspired from the Wauchope Thunder Rugby Club, the referee kit has been worn since round one in both the upper and lower Mid-North Coast competitions.
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Indigenous artist Angela Marr-Grogan created the design and has been used throughout the season as a way of acknowledging and paying respect to the region's diverse and rich indigenous history.
President of the referee’s association, Alan Wheatland drove the initiative to start conversations while promoting a powerful message.
"We have four language groups across Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Forster and the jersey design represents all four of those language groups," Wheatland said.
"I was having a chat to someone last week and asked them if they recognized their language group on the design and they said yes.”
"I was pleased the jersey had meaning for people watching as well as playing."
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Moving forward, Wheatland plans to make the unique design a permanent fixture of future referee kits and hopes other associations around the country adopt a similar idea.
"Several refs have said they intend to wear it from now on because it sends a powerful message and the fact, we're playing on Aboriginal land is part of our reconciliation process.
"It can play a large part in strengthening that bond between mainstream culture and indigenous culture.
"Every time a referee walks onto the field from Coffs Harbour down to Forster in these shirts it provides a constant reminder.
South Australia Rugby Union Referees Association have also followed suit in designing their own first nations designed kit worn last week as a celebration of reconciliation week that took place from May 27 through until June 3.
