The Canberra Raiders have launched their 2025 Indigenous Jersey, with club representatives coming together at Cuz Boxing in Belconnen to celebrate their culture and launch this year’s design.
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Raiders Indigenous stars Sebastian Kris, Xavier Savage, Jamal Fogarty, Vena Patuki-Case, Grace Kemp and Relna Wuruki-Hosea all helped launch this year's jersey and retail range, alongside captain Joe Tapine and his family, who share a deep connection with Indigenous culture through his wife Kirsten and daughter Ilua.
Jordan Martin, his partner Janaija and children Zari and Colton also joined in to celebrate their connection to culture along with Jamal Fogarty’s wife Kahlia and children Zahli, Ruby and Lenny. Xavier Savage’s sister Gabriella and fiance, Taliah were also part of the launch.
The artist for this year’s jersey is Ngunnawal, Bundjalung and Kamilaroi woman Shaenice Miles, who incorporated a range of different elements and designs, and collaborated with the Raiders’ Indigenous playing group during the creation of the design to ensure an accurate and meaningful depiction of culture was included.
The 2025 jersey features a Torres Strait Islander influence, while highlighting the culture of all First Nations people in the wider Raiders family.
The Torres Strait artwork was supplied by Eric Babia, who is also the uncle of Canberra Raiders star Sebastian Kris.
The jersey also pays homage to the 2025 NAIDOC theme of “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”
The front of the jersey showcases important aspects of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal life with coconut nets, yarning circles, water and representations of ancestors all present. These inclusions bring broader meaning to further groups of Xavier Savage’s heritage, representing both his Aboriginal (Birri Gubba and Gunggandji) and Torres Strait Islander (Erub, Darnley, Badu and Moa) history.
The jersey also depicts the Torres Strait Islander totems of Sebastian Kris’ tribe; the Wagadagam and Panay peoples, with the front of the jersey displaying a shovel nose shark, dugong, crocodile and a snake.
The Torres Strait artwork by Eric Babia illustrates how the environment and weather patterns intertwine with our lifestyle. The people of the Torres Strait live by ancient traditions governed by tidal currents, winds, the stars and the moon.
"We hunt and gather seasonal seafoods with the knowledge passed down through the generations. We live in harmony with each other and nature."
"The Mat (Waaku) in the back ground is commonly used in the Torres Strait, and it Symbolic our way of life. The sharp angled lines represent rough seas and strong currents (Guthath). The soft swirling lines represent calmer waters and slow currents (Kulis). These are the oceans response to the moon cycles. The artwork displays the different seafood available with the changing seasons and tides. Similar to a team environment; connecting with each other and with a common goal."
In keeping with the theme, Jamal Fogarty’s daughters Ruby and Zahli’s handprints are shown behind a wedge-tailed eagle, the totem of the Mununjali people. The display brings attention to family and the ‘next generation’ theme of the artwork.
The wedge-tailed eagle also represents the Ngunnawal people, along with the presence of a bogong moth; a totem which is also used for ceremonial practices on Ngunnawal land.
Ms Miles said she was eager to incorporate personalised representations of the playing group throughout, while also uniting the community under a single design.
“We wanted to make sure that Xavier and Seb both felt represented, so this year the main focus of the artwork was the totems of the Torres Strait Islander peoples, and that was liaised with either Seb's uncle or his pop, in which he drew the totems,” said Miles.
“With some players, totems cover identity too, it’s not just about a clan or a language group. They have a particular totem that represents them and their Dreamtime stories, too.”
“Incorporated on the front as well are yarning circles, which represent the family groups of the Torres Strait Islander community. Just like Canberra and most mob groups, the community is everything. One mob is a big mob.”
“Vena Patuki-Case is from the Wiradjuri nation, which is represented through the Goanna totem on the back of the jersey. Behind the Goanna is a community circle which represents other Wiradjuri mob within the club such as NRLW player Grace Kemp.
Wrapping around the lower left of the jersey is a section symbolising reconciliation. The design features multiple colours, representing both the Raiders’ First Nations players and the broader club community. The inclusion reflects First Nations people taking steps to further learn their own heritage; however, it also represents the non-Indigenous community beginning a journey of understanding and reconciliation.
“It’s so hard these days in terms of cultural education, but I believe reconciliation is so huge and so important, not just to myself, but for our future generations,” Miles said.
“We want to create a reconciled future for these kids, so that everyone has a better understanding of all cultures. I just felt that it was important to be incorporated, so it opens up a conversation on what reconciliation represents”
Cuz Boxing was selected as the launch site for the 2025 Indigenous jersey as an appreciation and acknowledgement of the venue and Founders tireless work in helping support troubled youth, particularly those in the Indigenous community.
Cuz Boxing is considered as a 'Safe haven' for some of these youth. It was also mainly set up to make it accessible and affordable for anyone who may be wanting to find a place to train or exercise. Founder and head coach at Cuz Boxing, and proud Bundjalung man Joe Hedger described the opportunity to host the launch as “a privilege”.
“It’s great to be recognised and valued as part of this important occasion for the Raiders,” Mr Hedger said. “I know that it will have an impact on a lot of those young First Nations kids coming through to see that the Raiders have seen the value here. It will just add to the motivation and the desire that these young people have to continue being a part of what we’re doing.”
“It goes a long way to helping build better understanding and stronger relationships around our culture, our communities and the role that sport plays in contributing to that.”
