Regional Roadshow reaches 600 school children
The NSW Rugby League’s Regional Roadshow kicked off its 2025 campaign by delivering road safety messages to almost 600 school children in four towns in NSW’s Riverina district last week.
True Blues Andrew Ryan and Kylie Hilder visited five high schools and delivered two after-school clinics in Temora, Young, Harden and Cowra.
The Regional Roadshow started in 2017 and is delivered in partnership with Transport for NSW as part of The Knock-On Effect campaign, which reminds youths of the “knock-on” effect that one bad decision behind the wheel can have on an entire community.
Transport for NSW is the major sponsor for NSWRL’s elite men’s competition - The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup.
Participants at both the school visits and skills clinics were given The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup boot bags, drink bottles, NSWRL footballs and an opportunity to see (and hold) the 2024 Ampol State of Origin shield.
Hilder holds the distinction of not only playing for NSW – as part of the Origin-winning team in 2019 – but also becoming the first female NSW head coach (2021-2024) in the Origin era, winning the shield in 2022.
She was able to tell the Riverina teenagers of her personal experience with a road tragedy, where she was the first on the scene and rendered assistance at a fatal crash site.
“What I was impressed by was how engaged all the students were,” Hilder said.
“It’s a tough session that we deliver, but I felt they took it all in and understood the importance of what we were speaking about.”
Ryan played 12 games for NSW and was part of the squads that won back-to-back State of Origin series in 2004-05. As the CABE NSW Under 19s coach he’s won the past three titles.
He fully understands the community impact of car accidents having lost three school mates in a crash on a property at age 16.
“It was a really enjoyable experience being able to travel through regional areas and spread important messages about decision-making on the road, whether you’re a driver or passenger,” Ryan said.
“Our interaction with the communities showed they seemed to get a lot out of our visits.”
Last week’s tour took in St Anne’s School in Temora, where Westpac NSW Blues winger Zac Lomax is a former student, and a visit to Milvale, the home of Wally Lewis Medal and Brad Fitter Medal winner Angus Crichton.
Future Regional Roadshows to be held in 2025, include the week leading into regional ‘Magic Round’ at Scully Park in Tamworth (9-11 May).
Since 2017, the Regional Roadshows have been presented to more than 7,000 teenagers in 28 towns and cities in 50 regional areas.
