What makes us different? The role of Rumbalara Football and Netball Club in promoting Indigenous wellbeing

The Rumbalara Football and Netball Club has competed in regional football and netball leagues since 1997, continuing a tradition that began with the Cummergunja football teams of the 1890s. The Club is an important contributor to cultural identity for Aboriginal people in the Goulburn-Murray Rivers region of northern Victoria. It is a place where Aboriginal people can (re)connect with community, language, and stories of culture and history. It is also a vehicle for building relationships with mainstream Australia. Through competing in regional football and netball leagues, the Club brings Aboriginal community into mainstream society, working towards and demanding recognition, equality, and respect for Aboriginal people. The Club's hosting of visiting players and supporters enables mainstream visitors to accept reciprocity from the Aboriginal community. These characteristics of participation make up part of 'being healthy' for Aboriginal people. Because they drive engagement of Aboriginal people with the Club, they are foundational to the Club's programs and activities that fit with a more conventional definition of 'health promotion', including programs to increase physical activity and improve diet, promote engagement of young people in education, and facilitate employment opportunities. The Club also engages in research which seeks to describe the breadth, strategies, and effectiveness of this health promotion activity