Source: Prime Minister of Australia
ell, thanks very much, Robbo. I’m very pleased and honoured to be here, and I acknowledge all the special guests who are here, but particularly the family of Ruth Kenny, who are here.
Thank you, Andrew Lancaster, for your passion.
You pitched up pretty hard for this project to receive federal funding and it’s worth every dollar of it, because this is an investment in this region, as well as this club.
And St George Dragons, of course, have such a long history, have a short history as the united club that now you can become under one roof, which will see you – I’m in West Tigers territory, and I see that when you don’t have everything under one roof with one direction, that can cause some issues.
I have no doubt that this will be the day in which people look back and say that’s where the Dragons went from where they are today, into the success that historically they have been.
It’s important to acknowledge the history of your great club.
Eleven consecutive Premierships make this club for a forerunner, St George, the most successful team club in any team sport in history in Australia, and indeed the world.
Unbeaten – and that is a great history.
And the prize when combined with the Rugby League nursery that the Illawarra has been going back to 1908, this is a region that has produced some of Australia’s finest footballers over many, many years.
And the Bruce Gordon Centre will be a magnificent new home for it.
It brings together the highest standards in elite sporting infrastructure with the very best of community sport facilities.
Because at its heart, that’s what Rugby League is about. It’s about your identity and being able to, no matter how your club’s going, people will back you in.
And the passion that I’ve seen from Andrew, but also from Alison and her fellow team in state and federal who are here, and local government indeed, is something that I’ve seen over a long period of time, and something that you can’t replace.
Clubs go through tough times.
I was on the board of Souths when we struggled to put a team on the field when we came back after our dismissal.
And every day, though, that passion comes from fans.
Rugby League is something more than just a sport, it’s about who people are.
People support their team because their mum or dad did, or because someone they knew played for the club.
And you can’t change teams.
You’re passionate about the way that you go through, and that is so important.
It’s also really important at a time where we look at young Australians, and we worry about the rising issues of mental health, the rising issues of physical health as well.
The role that team sports can play in getting people off their devices and onto the fields is so important as we go forward.
But it’s also important that this club will be able to promote junior sport here as well.
The connection with the University of Wollongong is so important as well, and the pathways that are created.
Young people playing team sport teaches them to win, it teaches them to lose.
It teaches them the value as well that you can have the best player in the comp, but unless you’re part of a team doesn’t count for much.
Pretty hard in Rugby League, in spite of Damien Cook being robbed of an absolutely great try on the weekend.
It is very rare that someone scores a try one out like that.
Normally you need a great team, and you need to have got the pass, or someone to have kicked through in that way, someone who had made the tackle.
So, it is so important.
We’ve got our social media ban that the Minister for Sport and also in charge of is the Minister for Communications – that is literally about making a difference to young people’s lives.
Getting off the keyboards and off their screens and onto the fields, and being able to come here to this facility that we had a sneaky look at this morning.
Kids will come down and watch the heroes.
They’ll watch their heroes, they’ll watch them train, they’ll be able to talk to them.
And one of the things I find about Rugby League as well, the toughest bloke on the field is always just so generous with their time.
And this club I’ve seen that firsthand as we go forward.
On that note, I do want to acknowledge that Jai Arrow is going through a really tough time.
He is a general giant off the field. I met his Dad after an Origin game. A very proud Queenslander as well, and I think all rugby league followers thoughts are with Jai and his wonderful family at this difficult time, as well.
The new High Performance and Community Centre does everything as well with its connection with the university and students and researchers, all the partnerships and connections it has right across the region.
This will be a hub for the great Illawarra community – function rooms and space to come together, as well as creating pathways for the next generation of Dragons.
And one of the things that is remarkable is how fast change can occur.
When I was playing rugby league, badly, that’s why I had to go into politics, the idea that elite Women’s Rugby League would be where itis is just amazing.
In a very short period of time, 10 years ago, we weren’t talking about State of Origin. And I watched Game Two, and it was a cracker.
It was a cracker, and that is so important as well.
So, these facilities will also make women and girls feel welcome and part of the club from the moment that they walk in the door.
This is a great day for the Dragons.
I wish you all the very best, both on the field and off the field as well.
All Australians can back every team versus the Warriors the on the weekend.
And for the Dragons, I do want to say though, something like this doesn’t just happen.
I’m coming in at the business end here, but something like this happens because people are really passionate and people work so hard to turn what is a vision into a reality.
And there’s no doubt in my mind at all that this will make for an extremely successful time, which is what this region deserves.
And something that the Dragons certainly, now today, start a new chapter in what is a very proud history. Well done, thank you.