How NT Cricket’s Remote Trips are Reaching Over 200 Young Indigenous Girls

Cricket has been making its way into remote Indigenous communities, creating opportunities for young people across the Territory to develop their skills, connect with each other, and build pathways for the future.

Through grassroots initiatives and programs such as Woolworths Cricket Blast, cricket is being introduced to remote Indigenous communities that may otherwise have limited access to organised sports.

The Northern Territory, with its vast geographical spread and remote Indigenous populations, presents both unique challenges and immense opportunities for fostering youth engagement in sport. Communities such as Borroloola (1000km from Darwin), Timber Creek (500km), Lajamanu (880km), Kalkarindji (770km), Yarralin (700km) and Tennant Creek (900km) are examples of where NT cricket has conducted programs – with the benefits extending far beyond just promoting physical activity or increasing participation in club cricket. For young Indigenous students in communities, cricket and sport can be a vehicle to promote physical and mental wellbeing, build teamwork and leadership skills, and provide an opportunity to engage with people from a variety of diverse backgrounds.

Within these programs in 2024, we have had over 200 young Indigenous girls involved. Thanks to the successes of the Australian Women’s Cricket team, and the strong foundation set in the Women & Girls space, our young Indigenous Territorian girls now have a clear pathway to follow. Entry level programs such as Woolworths Cricket Blast have played a pivotal role in exposing the game to a wider audience of Territorian students. Cricket may not look the same in community as it does in metropolitan areas of the country, but we truly are able to highlight cricket as a sport for all – regardless of some of the geographical challenges involved.