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Opinion

The incy wincy spider loves rugby league: The importance of NRL picture books

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Roar Rookie
5th May, 2020
14

Rugby league is a game often transferred from generation to generation. Like a family heirloom, a family’s team is passed down with pride through myth and legend of times gone by.

Brett Kenny’s tries in three straight grand finals. Benny Elias’s crossbar in the 1989 grand final. The Panthers final try in the 1991 grand final. Joey Johns’s performance in 2005 Origin series. These are tales passed down that forge a life of fandom for kids.

But then why are these not translated into printed kids books? Why don’t clubs or the NRL create reading material for kids of all reading ability, particularly for kids entering the world of reading?

Cameron-Smith-Australia-Kangaroos-Rugby-Leauge-Anzac-Test-2017

(NRL Photos/Grant Trouville)

Reading picture books with young children is life-affirming. Watching them discover and relate to the world through repeated images and words is close to magical. Sharing these moments is important to the cultural connections we make. But sharing these beautiful moments while looking at a British dog named Spot seems like a missed opportunity. This is a prime moment to share your family’s culture. This is a prime moment to share your family’s love for rugby league.

We have seen recently some forays into this genre, with Little Homie creating a wonderfully adorable and perfectly age-appropriate book entitled The NRL ABC. This is a fantastic book for families and friends helping kids learn the alphabet while supporting their rugby league indoctrination. But outside of this book there appears to be no other NRL picture books.

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To be fair, there are plenty of early readers that feature an NRL theme. For children who want to read short chapter books with rugby league scattered throughout there are books co-written by ex-players such as Scott Prince, Billy Slater and even Paul Sironen. Although good additions to the canon, they miss the formative brainwashing years from zero to eight years of age. Picture books aimed at this age group and reading levels do not seem to exist. This is a big gap in the market.

There are two responses to this issue: contact your team’s head office and ask them about club-specific picture books. Seeing a groundswell of support for a project like this may encourage them to create a series of books. If enough fans from enough clubs ask for club picture books, the NRL may even step in and help produce a range of club books similar to the ones made by the AFL.

The other response is to make them yourself. Writing picture books can be a fun and uplifting experience. There are plenty of apps that can help you write and print them. This way you can personalise the story too. It may include a grandparent in their prime catching a tram to one of the Dragons 11 premierships or an aunt’s adventures getting to and from the 1997 Knights win. It can be tailored to extend and enshrine your family’s tales of football.

Rugby league is tribal. It is passed down like a family jewel, like a precious possession. Something that was once handed to you, you now can pass onto your family. Sharing picture books to do so is a wholesome and enjoyable experience. Let’s hope you get the chance.

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