It all started over a quiet beer in a pub, says Orange United Warriors’ Vice President Kurt Beahan of the sponsorship deal between the rugby league club and the civil construction and mining services company AWCON.

Chatting with a mate, who worked for AWCON at the time, Kurt reached out to the company through his role as Aboriginal education engagement coordinator with TAFE NSW. 

“Through TAFE my position is about opportunities for the Aboriginal community and linkage to local employers and trying to increase Aboriginal participation or employment within their organisations,” Kurt said.

The programs they were able to put in place delivered job opportunities locally and were a boon for AWCON, in finding employees. So much so, that the company has adopted a similar approach in other states.

With a relationship in place, Kurt brought up the idea of sponsoring the Warriors, a rugby league team with a unique focus on community.

“For us, any player that considers coming to our club, we're very open and very honest about it — If you come to us, it's about you, It's about our community and it's about everybody else within the club, it's not about money,” Kurt said. “If it's money that you're after, then it's probably not the club for you. This is more about connection with community and that family club spirit.”

This winter is only the fourth rugby league season for the Warriors, although the idea that sparked it goes back a decade to the founding of the Orange United sports club.

It was at a school holiday basketball clinic, that founding member Jason French decided there needed to be more opportunities for low-income Indigenous and non-Indigenous kids to play regular competition sports. From three junior basketball teams, the club has grown and now regularly fields teams of all ages across six sports: netball, basketball, touch football, soccer, hockey and rugby league.

“It's giving these kids, and sometimes parents, an opportunity, which they may not have ever received previously,” Jason said.

“We look at basically supporting them through education and even parents through employment. And Kurt's done that quite successfully, especially with the rugby league guys over the years.”

Jason said there are a number of team members who were unemployed when they joined the club four years ago, but have been supported through training and apprenticeships to find employment.

“And we do that within our other sports as well,” Jason said. “Just looking at opportunities where we can support families overcome barriers they may be facing at that point of time in their life.”

AWCON managing director Paul Montagliani said it has been a pleasure to partner with Orange United and support their role in the community.

“It has just been a great opportunity with Kurt and the team to be a part of this,” he said. “We look forward to going forward and continuing with the partnership for years to come.”