A commitment to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth will be the cornerstone of a new three-year partnership between Richmond and national tier-one construction company Probuild.
Probuild will work closely with Richmond’s centre for Indigenous youth, the Korin Gamadji Institute, and through the new partnership, will be a presenting partner of the highly-successful Laguntas and recently established Boorimul programs.
In its fifth year, the Laguntas program, which was developed in conjunction with AFL Victoria, provides an alternative talent pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander footballers aged between 15 and 18 years old.
The Boorimul program, which draws on similarities from the Laguntas program, was created to identify and nurture talented Indigenous female players aged 16 to 20 years old into the elite AFL pathway.
Through the new partnership, Richmond will also play a leading role in helping Probuild develop a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) – a framework for organistations to realise their vision for reconciliation.
The Tigers are one of only 17 organisations, and the only sporting club in Australia, to hold Elevate Status RAP.
The partnership will also focus on providing development and leadership opportunities to Probuild staff nationally.
Richmond CEO Brendon Gale thanked Probuild for their support.
“The Laguntas program has established itself as a genuine pathway for aspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander footballers, with five participants recruited to AFL clubs last year alone,” Gale said.
“We expect the Boorimul program to have a similar impact for females and we look forward to working alongside Probuild on a number of community programs and initiatives, including expanding both the Laguntas and Boorimul programs.”
Probuild is one of Australia’s largest construction companies with a national pipeline of projects worth $5 billion and an annual turnover of more than $2 billion.
As a tier-one construction company, Probuild is currently delivering some of Australia’s largest construction projects including The Towers and Ritz Carlton at Elizabeth Quay in Perth, Grand Central Shopping Centre in Qld’s Toowoomba, Aurora Melbourne Central and The Greenland Centre in Sydney.
Probuild Managing Director Simon Gray said he was proud of the opportunities the partnership would bring.
“We’re incredibly excited to be entering into partnership with Richmond Football Club to support their Indigenous programs," Gray said.
"The fact that our support has enabled the Boorimul program to be established makes me exceptionally proud and it will be fantastic to see another AFL Women's talent pathway developed for aspiring young Indigenous footballers.
“Importantly, participants in the Laguntas program will also be involved in leadership training, cultural affirmation and personal development.
“Probuild and Richmond’s shared values will assist in creating a strong collaboration between the two parties.
“The Club is a leader in Indigenous reconciliation, a space Probuild hope to make great strides in over the coming years, and we look forward to partnering with Richmond to achieve greatness.”
The Tigers also recently announced United Petroleum as their Official Match Ball Partner, Bang & Olufsen as their official Audio-Visual Partner, Plenary Group as Richmond Academy Partner and Progressclaim.com as a joint-major partner of the Club’s VFL program.
For more information about Probuild, click here.
