Taking part in the season launch for the Dragons are (from left), Dra...

Dragons’ season launch kicks off at Innovation Campus

The University of Wollongong, which has a formal partnership with the St George Illawarra Dragons, joined in this week’s official season launch for the Dragons.

For the second year running the St George Illawarra Dragons conducted their season launch in the community with a combination of Dragons staff, players, corporate partners and key stakeholders coming together to help “make a difference” in the local community.

The theme for the 2010 launch was “Making a Difference” based on a quote from the 35th US President, John F. Kennedy.

The day began at WIN Jubilee Oval with former player and Dragons Ambassador Wendell Sailor welcoming guests before they were split into four mixed groups and asked to complete specific community activities focused on fulfilling the eight pillars of the Dragons’ community initiative.

In Wollongong, it was Dragons CEO Peter Doust who kicked off proceedings with a presentation to guests at UOW’s Innovation Campus. Those in attendance were then divided into eight groups with each given a challenge to complete in the local community.

UOW and the Dragons launched a formal partnership in August last year. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gerard Sutton, and Dragons Chairman, Warren Lockwood, then signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

At that launch, the Vice-Chancellor said that NSW and Australia representative rugby league player and UOW student, Ben Creagh, epitomised the links between the University and the Dragons.

Creagh, who is studying for a Bachelor of Commerce at UOW and who started playing senior rugby league with the University team in the Illawarra competition, was then on hand to witness the signing. He has since been an ambassador for the partnership.

Professor Sutton said one of the key objectives of the partnership with the Dragons was to provide courses to help players prepare for life after their playing career is over.

The MOU formalised a commitment from UOW and the Dragons to work co-operatively and collaboratively on joint initiatives and programs. Examples include:

• The Dragons using UOW facilities for pre-season training programs in conjunction with the University Recreation and Aquatic Centre

• UOW and the Dragons working together in developing, implementing and investigating research-based programs focusing on topics related to training, performance and rehabilitation

• The Dragons facilitating internships for UOW students within the Dragons organisation, with an emphasis on media and causal/social marketing

• UOW, through its Sydney Business School, investigating the establishment of Dragons-specific training programs for Dragons’ players such as a Graduate Certificate in Management

• The Dragons promoting and assisting UOW in attracting new commercial tenants to the UOW Innovation Campus

• The Dragons taking the necessary actions to ensure that strategic UOW health and medical research initiative(s) are formally recognised as a Dragons Charity

• UOW and the Dragons undertaking research into appropriate future community and commercially based programs in order to enhance business opportunities for both organisations