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Canberra footy fans will next week welcome players from the Canberra Raiders as they visit local school students as part of the 17th annual NRL Community Carnival.

This Monday, 20 February, the NRL and Canberra Raiders will host a series of special interactive presentations at 27 local primary and secondary schools, visiting over 7000 students to educate the future stars of tomorrow on the importance of respect.

Hosted throughout February, the NRL Community Carnival is supported by every NRL club and key NRL ambassadors, and will travel more than 40,000 kms to visit more than 1,000 schools, host up to 80 Junior Rugby League clinics and visit more than 250,000 primary and secondary students throughout Australia and New Zealand.

NRL General Manager of Community, Ellen Beale said the NRL Community Carnival is an exciting opportunity for NRL fans to get up close and personal with some of the league’s most outstanding players, whilst delivering educational messages on respect.

“The NRL Community Carnival is an important and rewarding opportunity for NRL Clubs to visit thousands of supporters and club fans, particularly those in regional and rural areas, and thank them for their support ahead of the 2017 Telstra Premiership season,” Ms Beale said.

“This year, the Carnival’s theme and education lessons will focus on respect, belonging and support within a team or community and celebrating individual differences.”

Canberra Raiders player, Aidan Sezer said he and fellow teammates were looking forward to visiting their local supporters in Canberra.

“We really enjoy visiting our young fans and junior players around the country every year,” Sezer said. “Last year we went into the local Canberra schools and it gave us a huge boost ahead of the season to see how much local support we had.”

“Not only is it a great way to give back to all the footy fans out there, but it’s also an important opportunity to teach the next generation of kids to be inclusive and respectful both on and off the field.”

Players will be joined by NRL Game Development Officers in delivering the Respect program to local students, which includes interactive activities, together with educational resources.

The NRL Respect program is linked to the Australia and New Zealand curriculum. Every school will receive an interactive presentation, which is supported by a six-week teaching resource focusing on respect, belonging and celebrating differences.

Junior Rugby League registrations for the 2017 season is now open. To find out more visit www.nrl.com/play.

For further information on the NRL Community Carnival, visit www.nrlcommunity.com.au/.

Acknowledgement of Country

Canberra Raiders respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.