In League In Harmony program launches in Queensland

The NRL's In League In Harmony program's pillars of acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate will start to spread through Queensland after the program launched last month.

The social cohesion program kick-started with 75 students from Nerang State High School, Loganlea State High School and Beenleigh State High School, who participated in a six-week series of ILIH sessions, drawing on respect, responsibility and inclusiveness.

Community Program Deliverer and former Kiwi International Clinton Toopi said with the success of the program in New South Wales and Victoria, it was only fitting to take the program up north.

"It was very important that we brought the program to Queensland as there's such a diverse group of people in our communities up here," Toopi said.

"The strength of the program lies with rugby league's unique ability to bring people together from all different walks of life.

"There is so many different cultures within our game which makes it easy for us to strengthen that social cohesion in our school and in our communities.

"And we know through delivering the program in New South Wales and Victoria that it's only going to strengthen our relationships as well within our communities, while also building up future leaders.

"Following the six weeks we selected 12 youth advocates that will get further personal development around leadership skills so we can potentially see them as the leaders of their high school and their communities."

As part of the program the senior students got the opportunity to visit the Gold Coast Titans headquarters where they were showed around by Titans prop Moeaki Fotuaika and winger Phillip Sami.

Toopi, a former Gold Coast Titans centre said what's been most pleasing about starting the program up in Queensland has been the interest clubs have shown in wanting to support the social cohesion initiative.

"We are very fortunate that we have good relationships with the clubs up here so we are trying to utilise that," Toopi said.

"A lot of our clubs do it because they are so community-minded and community-focused.

"The Titans in particular have already been great with supporting the program, giving us their resources and allowing us to take the kids through their facilities with a couple of players joining us.

"The program is already unique in itself but having that opportunity to go into a professional space like club headquarters tops off the experience and it's great to have them volunteering their time as well.

The In League In Harmony program will engage another three schools in the coming weeks; Victoria Point State High School, Capalaba State High School and the Australian International Islamic College.

Queensland's ILIH staff already have plans in place to expand further from here, while the program is also looking to venture over to Western Australia.

"The goal for term one next year is to have effectively run the program in four schools in Brisbane and four schools on the Gold Coast, and also have that alignment to our NRL clubs, the Broncos and the Titans - while more broadly the program is looking to expand to Western Australia in the near future," Toopi said.