WHEN Chris Kirkland arrived in Collarenebri six years ago the town of 380 struggled to muster one rugby league team – this season, the mighty Bulldogs have competition for spots in first grade, under 17s and under 14s.
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As coach, president, backrower, bus driver and much more, Kirkland has been the central figure in the town’s rugby league renaissance.
Now he his efforts have been recognised, with the 28-year-old Collarenebri Central School teacher being named 2015 Western Region Country Rugby League Volunteer of the year.
“It was a surprise, I didn’t even know that I’d been nominated,” Kirkland said. “It was an honour to receive it, and I was really humbled just to be nominated, let alone win it.”
A team player, Kirkland was quick to point out the support he’d received in building up the club.
“A few years it was just me and one other person, but now we’ve formed into a really good committee and I couldn’t have done this without their hard work,” he said.
But as coach of two teams in the club, player, not to mention his coaching and mentoring at a rep level and work in the Far Western Academy, Kirkland has his work cut out for him.
“It’s pretty full on during competition season ... but then a lot of work goes on in the off season as well,” he said. “Preparing for the next year, looking at sponsorship, making sure the club’s got all the apparel it needs for the next year, fundraising to get the kids to play rep footy and travel overseas…”
No doubt it’s a tough, but the boy from Warialda moved out to Collarenebri because he wanted a challenge. Pretty quickly, he saw his experience playing rugby league in Moree, Inverell, Warialda, Lismore, Ballina and beyond could be used to make a difference in the town.
“Rugby league in Collarenebri is probably the biggest vehicle to keep many in the community engaged,” he said. “For the young kids, the young men, playing 14s and 17s, it gives them something to strive for, it gives them structure and it also gives them a sense of community, because they are playing for their town town, they are playing in front of families, and in Collarenebri having a sense of community and playing for your community is probably more important than anything else.”
The buzz he has helped generate in the town with rugby league has carried on to the school and is reflected by attendance rates and engagement.
And in communities used to seeing teachers come and go, Kirkland has made a sustained commitment.
“I’ll definitely be sticking around, even though it’s been going for six years I feel like I’ve only just started something in Collie,” he said. “I feel like I’m only just gaining traction in a lot of the things happening at the school and with the rugby league club and I think that things are set in place now for us to really take great leaps forward.”
Kirkland will now advance to the Country Rugby League’s top six unsung heroes for 2015. Kirkland will join the other five Country Rugby League finalists at the Holiday Inn Everyday Hero CRL Volunteer of the Year Gala Dinner, at the Holiday Inn Potts Point on August 22.