Melbourne Storm apologise to First Nations people for cancelled Welcome to Country ceremony
The Storm said it had been in ongoing communication with members of the Wurundjeri community since April 25, when the ceremony that had been slated to take place before the match against the South Sydney Rabbitohs was pulled, causing distress among Indigenous communities.
The apology has not been enough for Indigenous rapper Adam Briggs, who rescinded his support for the Storm in 2023 over one of its directors donating to a prominent right-wing lobby group. Briggs said he could never see himself supporting the Storm ever again, as the club was yet to address Brett Ralph's connection to Advance Australia.
'I wouldn't feel welcome there,' he said.
In the days following the abrupt cancellation, the Storm took responsibility for what they said was an internal miscommunication.
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It said the miscommunication stemmed from the board agreeing to reduce Welcome to Country ceremonies to 'major cultural events' only, without defining what a major cultural event was.
On Anzac Day this year, Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy had been scheduled to perform the ceremony. Performances from First Nations groups were also planned.
The Storm said on Monday that they would have an Acknowledgement of Country before Thursday night's clash against the Brisbane Broncos, part of the NRL's Indigenous Round.
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