Hundreds of students from across Sydney and the Illawarra have come together to celebrate the diversity of rugby league's playing base at an In League In Harmony gala day.
The event coincided with the launch of the NRL's Multicultural Round and saw children from eight schools take part in a day of drills, skills and matches.
Students from a range of ages and backgrounds participated in the event, with Casula High School's Tom Church praising the sport's ability to bring people together.
"We've been doing the program for about six years and every year it gets better," Church said. "We're represented by a lot of different cultures and to bring all those cultures together in an event like this is special.
"The kids love it and every year they get so much out of it, that's why we keep coming back.
"The kids that have done this program and the Peace Advocacy program become leaders and they spread diversity and social cohesion within the community. You can see the change from when they started the program to now, it's a massive difference in their leadership and confidence."
Tuesday's event was the 61st In League In Harmony gala day run by the NRL throughout the past 13 years. The event also featured a Harmony Walk to showcase the unity on display.
The program is supported by Multicultural NSW and is designed to help strengthen community resilience, foster social cohesion and promote harmony in one of the world's most diverse states.
What Multicultural Round means to us
The NRL is also a member of the COMPACT Alliance, an initiative uniting community members to combat hate and foster social cohesion.
A number of current and former NRL and NRLW stars were also in attendance at Tuesday's gala day. Participants had the chance to interact with Casey and Jesse McLean, Ryley Smith, Keilee Joseph and Brad Takairangi throughout the event.
Kylie Boulous, of William Stimson Public School said the day provided her students with a unique chance to express themselves and their cultures outside the classroom.
"It's a way for them to build friendships, social skills and even build their resilience," Boulous said. "We've got kids here that have only played footy for maybe a few months but to see the growth and passion is great.
"They love seeing the men and women play on TV and being able to play in a school environment and at a day like this provides a lot of opportunities for growth."
