NSW Mining confirmed as major NRLW Sponsor

Author: Newcastle Knights
Timestamp: Thu 14 Oct 2021, 11:20 AM

The NSW Minerals Council is proud to announce it will be a foundation partner and major sponsor of the Newcastle Knights women’s team in the NRLW in 2022.

The NSW Mining logo will be positioned on the front and back of the team’s jersey in their first year in the NRLW in a strong demonstration of mining’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The sponsorship also highlights the industry’s continued support for women’s sport, which has included sponsoring the Newcastle Knights under 19s team in the Tarsha Gale Cup since 2018.

NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said it was an exciting time for the Hunter region and for women’s sport in NSW.

“This is a special moment for women’s sport and we’re excited to be part of it,” Mr Galilee said.

“Young women have performed so well in junior pathways teams in the region for many years but in the past, they had to go to Sydney to play elite sport. Now they can go to that next level with the Newcastle Knights in the NRLW.

“We’ve been working with the club for a long time and this partnership is a natural extension of the great work we’re already doing together.

“The Newcastle Knights have been a strong Voice for Mining for almost ten years and together we can now be a stronger voice for women in sport and in business, including in the mining industry.”

Newcastle Knights CEO Philip Gardner said the NSW Minerals Council’s support for the club’s new NRLW team cemented one of the strongest partnerships in the game.

“Mining is central to the prosperity of our region, vital to our state and such a big part of our community. So it is wonderful to have mining, an industry that is one of the pillars of our region, to support our new women’s team as a foundation sponsor,” Mr Gardner said.

“We’re all so excited to take the next steps towards diversity and more opportunities for women in our game and we’re proud to be doing it with the support of the NSW Minerals Council.”

Mining communities have another reason to cheer for the new team with Newcastle Knights recruit and Singleton local Phoebe Desmond coming to the club while working full-time in the region’s mining industry.

“We’re so pleased that Phoebe has joined the club. She brings plenty of experience as a player but also as a coach and mentor for young women in the Hunter region,” Mr Galilee said.

“Phoebe joins an esteemed group of Newcastle Knights players that have also worked in mining. It’s another example of the strong connection between rugby league and our mining communities and the contribution they make in the Hunter region and across NSW.”

Phoebe works at Glencore’s Bulga Open Cut operations about 15km southwest of Singleton. The mine produces high-grade metallurgical and thermal coal and Phoebe operates haul trucks and drill rigs which are essential to safe and efficient operations.

“I’m really grateful for the support of my employer and my colleagues who are getting right behind me as I prepare for my first season in the NRLW,” she said.

“I’ve been very involved in women’s sport and grassroots rugby league in the Hunter Valley for a long time and I’m really excited to take my game to the next level in the NRLW with the Newcastle Knights.”