The St George Illawarra Dragons completed another successful Best You Can Be Blitz through regional NSW, mustering support from countless kids in the Deniliquin area.
NRLW stars Ella Koster, Keele Browne, and Montaya Hudson joined the Dragons Community Team to deliver the club’s Best You Can Be program to a range of schools and host a Rugby League Gala Day in a non-traditional rugby league area.
The team stopped at Darlington Point Public School, Coleambally Central School, and St Peter’s Primary School Coleambally, whilst hosting a Rugby League Gala Day at Deniliquin’s Rotary Park for Conargo Public School, Blighty Public School, Deniliquin North Public School, Edward Public School, Mayrung Pubic School, Deniliquin South Public School and Deniliquin Public School.
The club also hosted a Win the Morning event in Deniliquin, with a strong local turnout, including Edward River Council staff, who came together for a walk, chat, and coffee.
The council expressed sincere interest in the Dragons returning in 2027, given the event’s strong support.
The club’s The Best You Can Be program, now in its 12th year, encourages students to make positive choices about health, wellbeing and personal development.
Through interactive workshops, students learn about physical activity, respect and inclusion, nutrition, hydration, healthy sleep habits, managing screen time, and caring for the environment.
Browne, who had just returned from a Kokoda trek in Papua New Guinea, was excited to see similar excitement coming from regional NSW.
“Obviously everyone knows the kids in PNG are crazy for their rugby league, but it was awesome to also see great excitement from the kids out and around Deni,” Browne said.
“We haven’t been out here before, and this is usually AFL territory, but the kids really enjoyed learning a new game. They were great ambassadors for their schools and the area, and I’d love to come back and help them continue to learn our sport.”
This marked the end of a successful 2026 Community Blitz campaign for the Dragons in conjunction with corporate partner Squadron Energy.
The Dragons Community Team, joined by Dragons players and Squadron Energy staff, took the Community Blitz on the road, delivering programs across three regions.
Across the journey, the team travelled an impressive 3666 kilometres and connected with more than 1500 kids, bringing footy, fun, and inspiration to communities right across the region.
