There was pride in seeing Jarrah McLeod pull on the Brumbies Indigenous jersey for his Super Rugby debut during Reconciliation Week. Excitement every time Kye Oates found space with ball in hand in his breakthrough season. And immense promise in watching Savannah Roberts-Hickling take her first steps towards a Super Rugby Women's career.
Those moments weren't just individual achievements. They were the latest chapters in a story years in the making.
This NAIDOC Week, the Brumbies proudly celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples while reflecting on the impact of the club's Indigenous Pathways Program, which continues to create opportunities, nurture future leaders and inspire the next generation of First Nations Brumbies.
Founded in 2020 by former Australian Rugby Sevens representative Matthew Sonter, ACT & Southern NSW Rugby CEO Craig Leseberg and Brumbies winger Andy Muirhead in partnership with ACT Rugby, the Indigenous Pathways Program was created to identify, support and develop talented First Nations rugby players across the ACT and Southern NSW.
More than a rugby program, it provides young athletes with high-performance coaching, education and wellbeing support, cultural mentorship and pathways into club and professional rugby — helping them thrive both on and off the field.
In 2026, the Indigenous Pathways Program reached another significant milestone, with two graduates realising the dream of wearing the Brumbies jersey.
Proud Nunukul, Ngughi and Goenpul man Kye Oates was the first to make his mark, earning his Super Rugby debut in Round 4 against the Queensland Reds.
Hailing from Toowoomba, Oates honed his game through both fifteens and sevens rugby, debuting for the Australian Men's Sevens team at the 2022 Hong Kong Sevens before an opportunity through the Indigenous Pathways Program brought him to Canberra.
A dynamic outside back with speed, footwork and natural attacking instincts, Oates immediately looked at home on the Super Rugby stage, producing back-to-back impressive performances before an ankle injury temporarily halted his breakthrough season.
“I remember Matty (Sonter) had teed me up to do the IPP and there was never any hesitation,” Oates said.
“I got down here and just tried to do my best for the pre-season and to finally get that cap at super level is hard to describe because you work so hard for it and then you finally get there. I am just extremely proud.“
Weeks later, proud Yuin man Jarrah McLeod followed, making his Super Rugby debut in the final regular season match, importantly during Reconciliation Week while wearing the Brumbies Indigenous jersey.
The chance to don Brumbies colours was the continuation of a rapid rise for McLeod, one that began after representing the First Nations & Pasifika XV against the British & Irish Lions and included making his Australian Men's Sevens debut at the HSBC Perth Sevens earlier this year. For McLeod, pulling on the Brumbies jersey represented more than a rugby achievement.
“A lot of phone calls were made, and it was a special, special night,” McLeod said.
“Just to be able to run out and showcase that I've come from a little small town and being able to put that jersey on and represent my family and other Indigenous people, it just puts a smile on my face.”
Together, their debuts represented a significant step for the Indigenous Pathways Program, paving the pathway from emerging First Nations talent to the Brumbies' professional ranks.
The program's impact extends beyond the men's game.
At just 19 years old, proud Bundjalung and Gomeroi woman Savannah Roberts-Hickling became the first graduate of the Indigenous Pathways Program to earn a Brumbies Super Rugby Women's contract.
Roberts-Hickling joined the first female intake of the program in 2025 after transitioning from rugby league. While still chasing her official Super Rugby Women's debut, she experienced her first taste of top-flight rugby during the Brumbies' Reconciliation Week trial match against the Waratahs while wearing the club's Indigenous jersey.
“The Indigenous Pathways Program gave me an opportunity to chase rugby at a higher level, but it also gave me support away from the field and helped me settle into Canberra and the Brumbies environment,” Roberts-Hickling said.
“To now be part of the Brumbies squad and represent the club during Reconciliation Week is something I'm really proud of.”
The impact of the Indigenous Pathways Program goes beyond the players who wear the Brumbies jersey today. It is about showing young First Nations athletes what is possible.
For many players coming through the program, having on-hand guidance from Matthew Sonter and seeing Brumbies winger Andy Muirhead proudly represent his culture on the Super Rugby stage was proof that there was a place for them in the game.
“Uncle Matty, he's a massive influence. None of this really happens without him,” Oates said.
“Andy's huge. The support he gives myself and the other Indigenous boys down here. I don't think a lot of people notice what he does, especially off the field.”
That same opportunity is now being passed on to the next generation.
Supported by the NSW through their Rugby World Cup legacy investment, the Indigenous Pathways Program has expanded its talent identification work across regional NSW, delivering combines on the South Coast and in the Monaro to create more opportunities for young First Nations athletes.
the culmination of that activity was this year, when the Brumbies welcomed 20 of the region's most promising First Nations athletes to Brumbies HQ for the annual Indigenous Pathways Program Emerging Camp. The true success of that group won't be measured by jerseys, caps or representative honours alone. It will be measured by the opportunities created, the connections strengthened and the young First Nations people inspired to believe that if Jarrah, Kye and Savannah can do it, so can they.
That sense of pride, connection and cultural celebration is what NAIDOC Week represents.
“NAIDOC Week means to celebrate,” McLeod said.
“You get to celebrate, but then also non-Indigenous people get to come in and understand different parts of culture — learn how to play the didgeridoo, learn how to paint or put ochre on, just little stuff like that so we can become one as Australians.”
Through the Indigenous Pathways Program, the Brumbies continue to celebrate the players wearing the jersey today, honour those who helped build the pathway, and create opportunities for the generations of First Nations athletes who will follow.
