The memories of the Ampol State of Origin series are still fresh for 12 students from a small town in north-western New South Wales a month on since the Westpac NSW Blues lifted the Shield to claim an historic series victory over Queensland.
For the students at Collarenebri Central School, the opening win for NSW in Game One wasn’t just about Rugby League; it was a reward for all their hard work, determination, and a commitment to change.
Part of NSWRL's Changing Rooms program, the students were challenged to set goals and make positive changes at school, with the opportunity to attend Game One at Accor Stadium in Sydney offered as an incentive.
“Some of the 12 students that attended, last year their attendance at school was around 30 to 40 per cent,” Collarenebri Central School Principal Fiona Donnelly said.
“That means three or four days out of every 10. Kids need to be at school to be learning, and we’re all about them doing well and being successful.”
Donnelly had previously worked with True Blue and Changing Rooms facilitator Paul Langmack at Granville Boys High School, where she has seen the impact Langmack and his program had on students.
After moving to Collarenebri, she called on Langmack to bring the program to the school, with Langmack and Kristian Heffernan, son of Rugby League Immortal Arthur Beetson, visiting in Term Four last year.
The students were encouraged to set personal goals, improve their behaviours and most importantly, commit to attending school, with the Origin experience on offer to students who reached an attendance target of 85 per cent or above.
“About a third of the high school kids made these changes, achieved their goal and improved their attendance,” Donnelly said
The opportunity was particularly significant in a school where more than 96 per cent of students are First Nations, and many had never travelled to Sydney before.
On Game Day, two school buses departed Collarenebri early in the morning, with students making the eight-hour journey south alongside their teachers.
“Picking them up that morning from their family homes, it was such a huge deal for not only the kids but their families,” Donnelly said.
“Their families were out the front waving them off. Brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles and parents all just really proud and happy that their kids had achieved these goals and were off on this trip to watch the State of Origin.”
The impact of the experience didn’t end when NSW achieved the biggest comeback in Origin history to claim a 1-0 lead in the series. The students returned to Collarenebri with memories of an unforgettable night all because of their hard work and commitment to their education.
“Some of these kids have actually gone on to maintain 100 per cent attendance records after the State of Origin experience,” Donnelly said.
“It has been something that has triggered a commitment to their learning.
“Their engagement in learning has improved and their social skills have improved; they have been able to achieve their learning goals.”
The students also continued to engage with the Changing Rooms program, taking part in structured activities to support their mental fitness, goal-setting and personal development.
“They all loved that program, and they have been talking about it for the weeks after we returned to Collarenebri,” Donnelly said.
As NSW went on to claim the 2026 Ampol State of Origin series, the students could all proudly say they were a part of history.
“They all go for the Blues and to be at that Game One experience and then NSW going on to win the series, they go back and tell everybody that they were there, and they were a part of it,” Donnelly said.
“That is something they will never forget.”
