As the Penrith Panthers celebrate their NRL grand final victory, players explain why the “Battle of the West” was so important for Pasifika and Māori communities. Read more here:
More than half of the players from the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels identify as Pasifika or Maori.Sunday night's NRL grand final marked a seismic moment for the most culturally diverse area in Australia - Western Sydney.
Penrith delivered a thumping in a dominant performance on Sunday, beating their Western Sydney brother club 28-12 to become just the second team in NRL history to win back-to-back premierships. That includes, for starters, how to pronounce their names. NRL commentators have in recent seasons been pronouncing players' names correctly."I'm not expecting anyone to say my name correctly or anything like that, but just to see the effort so many people have put in now, it's quite a nice feeling," he told SBS News ahead of the game.
"It's something that I'm really obviously grateful for," To'o said. "It just shows that we're able to be comfortable with our culture and the fact that everyone's respecting it."Jioji Ravulo, professor and chair of social work and policy studies at the University of Sydney, said the major representation of Pasifika players, coupled with the Western Sydney derby, is a recipe for success.
Jarome Luai Brian To'o and Stephen Crichton wearing leis as they celebrate the Panthers' NRL grand final win."People like myself from Western Sydney - represent! - we are proud to also celebrate where we've come from, and what that actually means to also represent diversity," Professor Ravulo said.
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