Welcome New Director – Katrina Fanning

The Chairman of the Men of League Foundation, Professor the Honourable Stephen Martin, has today announced the appointment of Katrina Fanning to the Board of the Men of League Foundation, commencing from the 7th July 2020.

“I am absolutely delighted that someone of Katrina’s reputation, experience and knowledge of rugby league has accepted this important role,” Professor Martin said. “She is a champion for inclusion in our game and brings to our Board unique expertise and tremendous commitment to serving the broad rugby league community.”

Katrina Fanning is a Wiradjuri woman from Junee NSW. Katrina has lived and breathed rugby league as a player and administrator from the Junee Diesels juniors to the Jillaroos (#6), playing in 26 tests for Australia. A former Country and NSW Captain she was also a captain/coach for premiership success on 3 occasions.

Away from the field she held the role of President of the Australian Women’s Rugby League Association and is currently President of the ACT Women’s Rugby League Association, Chairperson of the Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council and a director of the Board of the Canberra Raiders. She is a director of Coolamon Advisors, an Indigenous and majority-owned and managed consultancy devoted to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people creating and leading their own solutions.

She has worked to create participation and elite pathways for many in the game including women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and is proud that the premier schoolgirl rugby league competition is named the Katrina Fanning Cup.

Katrina has also been recognised for her broader community contributions in areas such as the prevention of family violence, child protection, homelessness and addressing disadvantage faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Recognition has included ACT Australian of the Year 2020, Canberra Woman of the Year 2014, a Public Service Medal for outstanding contribution to Indigenous affairs as a senior executive in the Australian Public Service, and ACT NAIDOC Person of the Year 2014.

“I understand the difference rugby league makes in the lives of many Australians. I have seen so many dedicated people give so much to the game to ensure people like me could play. I consider it a great honour to join the team at the Men of League Foundation as a national director and play a role in looking after the people who came before me and people now serving the game – people who are themselves now in need. Many of them ensured our great game was inclusive and accessible to people from all kinds of backgrounds and we are all the beneficiaries of that.”

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