The entire Brisbane Broncos NRL squad and football staff will today wear new Deadly Choices health check shirts during training, in a powerful show of unity and support for the renewed partnership and community as a whole.
For the 13th consecutive year, the club will again partner with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) in season 2024 and promote its major preventative health program, Deadly Choices.
Launching this year’s Health Check shirts at Suncorp Stadium ahead of the Broncos clash with the Rabbitohs on Thursday night, representatives from Urban Indigenous Health including Ambassador and Broncos legends Steve Renouf Civoniceva, along with NRL great Willie Tonga, will join youngsters from Brisbane’s Murri School to watch the Broncos NRL squad train in the iconic shirts.
Since 2011, the partnership has contributed to a 4000% increase in 715 Health Checks in South-East Queensland and led to the expansion of Deadly Choices across Queensland.
Brisbane Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said “There is no question, our partnership with IUIH and the Deadly Choices Program is one that is incredibly special and important for our club, and one we look forward to launching every year.
“For us, now more than ever, it’s all about education, and ensuring that we lend our voices, brand and faces to improving positive outcomes for communities.
“We have had a long and proud association with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through our playing group, community programs and our fanbase.
“What better way to encourage more Communities to get their health checks than for the Brisbane Broncos to wear the message across their chests ahead of our first home game at Suncorp Stadium.”
Renee Blackman, CEO of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane added:
“The impact of this partnership, and others like it, and the work of our community controlled health services across the State has seen Queensland deliver more Health Checks than any State or Territory in Australia.
“Our Broncos partnership remains strong, with players at the forefront of promotional activity around the importance of health checks and other key healthy lifestyle messages. If we are going to ‘close the health gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queenslanders then we need to continue to empower our people to take control of their health and accelerate decreases in the rates of preventable chronic disease.
“This will be witnessed at Suncorp Stadium today as a powerful statement around the Broncos continued commitment to Deadly Choices.”