Broncos NRLW captain and Ipswich hometown hero Ali Brigginshaw is cheering on the next generation of leaders, helping boost achievement in and out of the classroom and defining 2023 as the most successful year for the Beyond the Broncos Program.
More than 3,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Years 7-12 were part of the Program this year and have been kicking academic and personal goals, paving the way to become future trailblazers.
Reflecting on her time as a former Ipswich student, Ali says she wasn’t always at the top of her game in the classroom.
“I grew up in Ipswich and went to school there, so I know that people say Ipswich is a little bit rough, but I just wanted the young men and women in the program to see that it didn’t matter where you were from, you can achieve anything,” Ali said.
Post-NRLW season, it’s been boots on the ground for Ali, who is part of the Broncos Community team delivering personal development workshops to students across the programs 51 schools, including her former high school, Bremer State High School.
“Visiting schools through the program, I could see these girls that were much like me, and I was seeing what they were struggling with, and I just thought ‘I could see my young self-there.’
“I didn’t have that person to look up to, but I hope they can see the way that I walk, the way that I’m on time, the way I use my manners to thank people.
“If they can see and follow those things, I think that’s the biggest thing you can take out of the connection we have.”
School student and rugby league captain Geraldine Lomas-Bonner said the program helped her build her confidence and gave her the opportunity to share her culture on a national scale.
“The Beyond the Broncos Program has really helped me believe in myself and given me a chance to share my culture,” she said.
At just 16, Geraldine performed alongside 150 students at the NRL Indigenous Round at Suncorp Stadium earlier this year. “The program gave me the confidence and the opportunity to perform at this year’s NRL Indigenous Round and truly represent my culture.”
Beyond the Ipswich school gates, Ali has helped thousands of high school students take ownership of their futures, since joining the program in 2018. Reflecting on the past five years, Ali said it has been rewarding to see thousands of young students emerge as leaders.
“Seeing how successful some of the students are now when they leave school, it just blows my mind what the Broncos do,” she said.
Chris Halliwell, general manager of community & government programs at the Brisbane Broncos, said ambassadors like Ali are helping guide students, ensuring they have the skills to pave a successful path forward. “The program is seeing exceptional results, including in the Ipswich region, by working with the school community to support students to build the skills they need.”
