As Rhiannon Byers stands to receive one of NRL’s highest honours, we reflect on the Cronulla Sharks’ wide-reaching impact in the community this year.

To many, Cronulla Sharks NRLW powerhouse Rhiannon Byers is a hero on the field. To around 400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students each year, she’s a hero off it as well, mentoring across 21 local high schools through the Kurranulla Aboriginal Corporation.

Byers believes her relationship with the kids she mentors is a two-way street, noting recently that her acts of service have strengthened her own connection to culture. “When I first started, they were really disconnected with community and our culture. Seeing them grow and find who they are as individuals has been really fulfilling to me,” she said. “I love every day that I go to work. It’s also been helping me with my cultural journey.”

The forward has this year been nominated for the prestigious Veronica White Medal for her outstanding community service, and as proud front-of-jersey and Community sponsors of the team, Quest couldn’t agree more with the nomination.

Over the past 12 months alone, Byers has made huge impact within the community:

●     Leading the First Nations Health and Wellbeing Day - an event put on by Kurranulla at Engadine High School - with over 200 participants.

●     Volunteering with Cronulla’s female pathway programs, coaching across the Lisa Fiola Cup and Tarsha Gale Cup teams.

●     Working alongside Find Ya Feet, a youth wellbeing organisation to spearhead suicide-prevention initiatives.

●     Becoming a regular fixture across Sharks Have Heart Programs throughout the year.

The winner of the Veronica White Medal will be announced at this year’s Dally M medal ceremony on Wednesday, October 1.

How Quest supports Sharks Have Heart in the community

Byers’ involvement in the Sharks Have Heart program is evidence of the club’s wider goals in the community. 

The official charitable program for the club, Sharks Have Heart was born of a desire to make a real-world impact both in the Sharks’ home community and further afield. With three pillars – Inclusivity and Diversity, Community and Social Impact, and Health and Wellbeing – Sharks Have Heart has long-standing relationships with a number of local community organisations and the goal of creating a healthier and more vibrant society.

These pillars mirror Quest’s own core values, as well as our goal to support the communities in which we operate to thrive. As the official Community Partner of the Sharks Have Heart Community program, Quest has helped support a number of key initiatives this year, including:

●     The Score Sharks program, an all-abilities rugby league team, run in collaboration with The Disability Trust, that provides an inclusive, joyful environment for participants to get involved in the game they love.

●     The Stellar Mermaids, an opportunity for disability support clients to spend 10 weeks training with the official Sharks cheer squad, the Mermaids, to perform a stunning pre-show routine.

●     Foodbank volunteering, where NRLW players Emma Tonegato and Caitlan Johnston recently joined over 20 Quest volunteers at Foodbank NSW/ACT to pack over 17,000 meals for those in need.

Quest’s relationship with the Cronulla Sharks is one rooted in shared values and a desire to create lasting impact. As we head into finals season backing the mighty boys and girls in sky blue, it’s with the understanding that for both Quest and the Cronulla Sharks, the most important victories are the ones that strengthen the heart of the community.