Ten students from the Sussex Inlet Public School on NSW's South Coast have enjoyed the time of their life, playing rugby league in front of 80,000 roaring fans at the State of Origin on Wednesday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"It was just special," says teacher Dave Booler.
"We were up there for the whole day - we did a clinic at Belmore Stadium with Alan Tongue and Matt Cooper and that set the tone for the day.
"They spoke about inclusivity and the kids really took it on, in the tunnel they were talking and laughing with kids from Macarthur Adventist (a college in Sydney's south west) they were all just getting along and having a ball.
"It's something they won't forget."
Mr Booler said all 10 of the students play junior rugby league for the local club, the Sussex Inlet Panthers and it was a mum of one of the players who alerted the school to the comp and suggested an entry.
"She forwarded the details on to me and it was a short submission on why we thought we should win so we spoke about the fires, floods and the pandemic and sent in a team photo of our under 10s and that was enough to get us the win," Mr Booler said.
READ MORE:
He said the whole experience had been "pretty amazing" from the principal saying a few proud words as she shared the news with the students and the subsequent response from the kids.
"Telling the kids was a nice feeling, it was important for them," he said.
He said the team didn't get home until around 2am on Thursday and there was plenty of kids snoozing on the bus on the drive home, but said it was a special experience for the kids involved and something they will be able to share with their families and friends.
Mr Booler said the school had been wonderfully supportive of the trip, but also thanked all the parents who joined for the pilgrimage to Accor Stadium for the game itself.
"It was a bit of a whirlwind and my head is still spinning," Mr Booler shares with a laugh. "But it's all been wonderful."