Every year, Indigenous Nationals brings together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students from all corners of Australia for a jam-packed week of sport, culture and good vibes. This time, Perth rolled out the welcome mat on Whadjuk Noongar Country from June 23 to 27 with basketball, netball, touch football and volleyball serving up the action and a whole lot of friendly competition.
For Lachie, stepping into his first Indigenous Nationals was a leap into the unknown. But what he found was more than just competition. It was community.
“As it was my first games, I did not know what to expect. Though what got me through was how great the team was together. The support, banter and want to be around one another is what made us stand out amongst the rest I feel,” Lachie said.
“I felt I was at home and slotted in well to the sports I was there to play Touch and Netball. Coming from someone who hadn’t played in the games before I would just say get on the field and give everything a go.”
The Indigenous Nationals are more than a tournament. They are a celebration of culture, connection and collective pride. Lachie noticed something special about the atmosphere.
“Even the other universities back you and give you their full support when you verse them. It just seems to be a thing at BlackFella tournaments (we just want mob to thrive no matter if it is our opposition), something I haven’t seen in other types of comps.”
Of course, every great experience has its standout moments. For Lachie, one of those was sharing a room with teammate Benny Cooper.
“I gotta say my roomie Benny Cooper was a standout player, got a mad step on him too.”
His advice to future participants? “Get on the field and give everything a go.”
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