Gifted Indigenous artist and Woy Woy Roosters mum, Kylie Cassidy, has designed two artworks to be used for both the 2020 Sydney and Woy Woy Roosters’ Indigenous Round jerseys.
Both of these artworks have been specifically designed by Kylie to represent and celebrate the clubs’ community connections and indigenous heritage.
Kylie presented the Sydney Roosters artwork, with Rooster, Brett Morris, at the announcement ceremony earlier this year.
This design shows the club as the circle, with journey lines branching out in the top left corner, representing the many community programs and events the Roosters are involved in each season.
The outline of the Roosters logo overlaps the club, showing the strength of their support base that thrives throughout New South Wales.
This logo is outlined in dot work to represent the ongoing involvement of players, workers and supporters with Indigenous heritage.
Underneath are the totems of NRL and junior club players, each of which is filled with symbols representing land, sea and sky.
“The area surrounding the footprints expresses how, when we dance and kick up dust, we say we are moving in the womb of Mother Earth,” says Cassidy.
“The red circle with the dots in the centre are dreaming symbols that connect the footprints, representing the club members’ connectivity to Indigenous stories, songs and culture.”
“The fifteen meeting place symbols are connected together, and each stands for one of the fifteen premierships the club has won, and they are surrounded by symbols representing mountains, water and land, showing the journey the team has taken for each premiership.”
The red dots along the outside represent the families and the fans who continue to support the club.
Along the bottom are tools and weapons used to represent the women and men in league.
Men are represented by hunting boomerangs, woomeras, clubs, shields and spears, and women by dilly bags, clap sticks and digging sticks.
The red, blue and white dot work of different sizes throughout the piece all represent the diversity of the club and its supporters, who all learn about and share within Indigeneity.
The NRL Indigenous Round game between the Roosters and the Raiders was scheduled to take place in Round 11 (May 23), although this has now been postponed until further notice along with the rest of the season.
As a result, there is now uncertainty over whether the 2020 Indigenous Round will go ahead.
With respect to the local League, Woy Woy Rooster’s Club President, Tim McParlane, gave assurances that Kylie’s second design will be worn by the local club, even if it has to wait until 2021.
While we don’t yet know when we will get the chance to see Kylie’s work in action, we eagerly await the opportunity, just as we eagerly await a resumption to club sport at all levels.
Source:
Woy Woy Rugby League Football Club Facebook page
Reporter: Haakon Barry