Zei Balas is an inspiring student-led initiative that began its remarkable journey in 2021. Spearheaded by then-students and now Churchie Old Boys Emil Willie-Jawai (2023), Kye Boland (2023) and Toby Wilson (2023), the purpose was to share the opportunities they were experiencing at Churchie with mates from their communities, mostly in remote areas of Far North Queensland. Each year since, the Zei Balas Rugby Team compete in The Murri Carnival. Run by The Arthur Beetson Foundation (ABF), the annual carnival is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teams (each comprising 20 indigenous students) to unite and showcase their culture, mateship and talent through rugby league. With a major focus also on Health Vocation and Education, it is much more than just a rugby league carnival.

At this year’s competition, being held from Wednesday 25 to Saturday 28 September 2024, the Zei Balas team will comprise four students from Churchie and fifteen invitational players. This is just the beginning of an incredible journey for all involved. For Churchie students and 2024 Captains Jayden Ah Boo and Bailen Noy, their goal is to showcase their rich cultural heritage, strong family bonds, and the spirit of their homes. Furthermore, their aim is to also extend this opportunity to friends and family from remote areas (including Badu, Thursday Island, Horn Island, Cairns, Townsville and Bamaga) to empower them to excel on a larger stage by highlighting their talents and ensuring their voices and stories are acknowledged and celebrated through rugby league.

The challenge each year for players is to raise funds to contribute to their own and shared costs. For most, this means raising community awareness and financial support funding from their communities or grants. With a strong awareness of the ambitious fundraising goal this year, additional support is crucial to meet the total costs which include team registration, student and artist collaboration, team supplies and resources, accommodation, meals and transport. Jayden and Bailen have already leveraged social sharing, crowdfunding, and networking to achieve some of these milestones, however more is still needed and every bit of support counts.

We invite you to connect, share, and cheer for the team via the Zei Balas Rugby Team Facebook page, GoFundMe page, or of course at The Murri Carnival itself. There is also opportunity to contribute to resources for lunches and other meals or sponsor flights for a player.