EIGHT lucky students from Ararat College were selected to attend a rugby league match recently courtesy of an initiative hosted by the Melbourne Storm.
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The students were accompanied to AAMI Park by members of the Ararat Police to watch the Storm play the Brisbane Broncos in the final match of the NRL home and away season.
Ararat Police Leading Senior Constable Eddy MacDonald said prior to the game the students were taken to the Shrine of Remembrance where they were given a guided tour.
"For these young people it was an opportunity to see our community's values and some of our heritage," he said.
"It was also an opportunity to pay respects and visit those memorials that have been put up on behalf of those who didn't return.
"After the Melbourne Storm game they also had the chance to meet the players."
Melbourne Storm provided the tickets to the group, while Central Grampians LLEN organised the travel arrangements in partnership with Ararat Police.
The initiative was part of the same program that runs the annual Blue Ribbon Rugby League Cup played between the Ararat community and Victoria Police the only regular Blue Ribbon rugby game that is played in Australia.
"This year is extra special because we are travelling down to Endeavour Hills in Melbourne as part of the Victorian Rugby League Country of Origin carnival," LSC MacDonald said.
The Ararat versus Victoria Police match will be held as a curtain raiser to the grand final of that competition on Friday, October 25.
"Normally we would say we want to keep the game in Ararat, but this year we have the opportunity to take it down to Melbourne and play in front of teams representing Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands, Samoa and more.
"This will give Ararat locals the chance to show off their skill levels, dedication to training and their vibrant team work in front of an audience that is going to contain a lot of international players."
While the Ararat Devils Rugby team has not tasted victory against the Victoria Police Vikings in the first two years of the event, LSC MacDonald is hoping 2014 will be a case of third time lucky for the Devils.
"Anyone interested in joining our 20-man squad, please contact me at the Ararat Police Station," he said.
"Once we can get that squad together we will be able to organise some training times.
"The game is played to recognise the Blue Ribbon Foundation and what it stands for. It is played in good spirits and honours those police members that went to work and didn't come home, we still stay focused on that and that is what the cup represents."
