The coming together of two First Nations cultures will again be on display for the world to see on Saturday as the commencement of rugby league's 2022 calendar takes flight.
The Indigenous men's and women's All Stars host the Māori All Stars on Darug nation at Parramatta Stadium, in what will be their fourth meeting.
This year marks the first time Preston Campbell's All Stars concept, which came to fruition in 2010, will be played in Sydney.
The matches themselves will undoubtedly be played in the same spirit as previous years – with a deep sense of pride and great respect among opponents.
Footy fans will also get to witness the innate and freakish talent of some of rugby league's best First Nations athletes.
Although the back-to-back matches are the centrepiece of Saturday's action, with the women's match kicking off at 5:20pm (AEST), the game day proceedings will also see a range of cultural protocols, performances and art on display.
'Around the fire, we realise that we're all family'
As players, staff and thousands of fans begin to flood Parramatta Stadium from 4pm (AEST) when the gates open, they will be met with a smoking ceremony.
Smoking ceremonies have been performed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for thousands of years to cleanse both people and places of bad spirits or bad energy.
The fire acts as healing and the bringing together of people. It is important when we have smoking ceremonies to think about our elders, our past, present, who we are, where we come from and where we're going.
It is also an acknowledgement as we pay our respects to the people whose land we're meeting on.
Ngiyanppa Wiradjuri man Uncle Graham King, who will give the Welcome to Country before the match, says the smoking ceremonies remind us "where we get our power from".
"The smoking ceremony before the games says, we're all playing. We're here together and playing as one," Uncle Graham said.
"The other thing is that it focuses our intent on what we want to achieve … around the fire, we realise that we're all family."
The Māori teams gave their traditional welcome at the camp's opening ceremony which was held at the Sydney Zoo at the start of the week.
Following a smoking ceremony, a karakia (prayer) was given and the karanga (call out, summon) was performed as a ritual chant of welcome.
The Māori's teams were also gifted with their taonga (treasure) after it was blessed by elders.
The pounamu (greenstone) plays a significant role in Māori culture and is given as a taonga to increase mana (spiritual power or prestige) as they are passed on from one generation to another.
"It was a special moment," Māori lock Kennedy Cherrington said.
Welcome dances, haka and waiata to be performed before matches
While the week in camp was spent immersing themselves in culture, a lot of time was spent re-designing and practising their pre-match welcome dances, haka and waiata.
The Indigenous men's team has designed an entirely new dance with the most exciting inclusion being a Torres Strait Islander component — an element the Indigenous women's team brought in several years ago.
The side has also moved away from the label "war cry" to describe the traditional dance.
"As a group, we've talked about how we're not warfare people. We didn't go to war but we did welcome people in. When we welcomed them in though it came with laws and if you break those rules there was punishment," said Minjungbal, Yugembeh and Gamillraay man Darren Compton, whose Aboriginal dance group Muggera will accompany the players during their welcome dance.
"So that's what we've gone with for the theme of this dance. We're going to welcome you here, the Māori team, but don't go mucking up on country. Otherwise, there's punishment that comes with it.
This year the Indigenous men's team will be dancing with spears and boomerangs, while they will paint up with ochre — a symbolic way for Aboriginal people to tell their stories through body painting.
At the start of the welcome dance, you will notice the spear tips facing down gesturing a greeting, a peaceful welcoming but as they face them upwards, it means they're ready for combat.
This new kunjiel (dance), that has been composed by the men's team with help from Muggera and Torres Strait Islander group Giz (meaning roots) — led by Albert David, Beatrice Sailor and elder's guidance from Eddie Sinak, will be their signature All Stars welcome dance that will be passed on through generations.
While the Māori men's team will perform their traditional haka, the Māori Ferns have built upon last year's waiata (traditional Māori song).
This year their waiata talks about their journey as strong wāhine toa (Warrior Women).
It reminds them that no matter where they go and what they do in life, their bloodline will remain strong. It tells of the strong connection between their Māori heritage and their existence.
Indigenous All Stars vs Māori All Stars – Men
This year both sides will be hoping to produce a result that solidifies their dominance after last year ended in a 10-10 draw in Townsville.
Josh Addo-Carr will proudly lead the Indigenous side out after missing last year's match due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Andrew Fifita makes his return to rugby league following a life-threatening throat injury in August 2021 – he'll make his fifth All Stars appearance on Saturday night.
In some last-minute changes to the squad, Brent Naden and Shaquai Mitchell were brought into the Indigenous camp.
Naden and Mitchell are among nine debutants representing their mob in the All Stars arena.
Laurie Daley's men will rely heavily on their explosive backline, while the Māori's powerhouse forward package will look to go through the middle.
Joseph Tapine is captaining the Māori's again this year, alongside Kodi Nikorima.
It's a special night for the Nikorima family, with Kodi and his younger brother Jayden playing alongside each other for the first time at professional level.
Tapine says for the entire group, including the 10 debutants, the All Stars week has been about much more than Saturday's game.
"Although we are looking forward to the match, this week for us has been about how we can grow as men, as Māori men," he said.
"The whole team has been really open to learning, changing and growing.
"I feel very proud that I get to lead my culture on Saturday. I know that when we do the Haka that's when we switch to game mode, and we'll be ready for war."
Indigenous All Stars vs Māori Ferns All Stars – Women
Corbin McGregor and her Māori Ferns will be looking to retain the Fanning-Murphy trophy after a 24-0 upset over the Indigenous side last year.
Coach Keith Hanley's game plan will be for experienced duo Raecene McGregor and Zahara Temara to lead the team as they call the shots in the halves.
Former New Zealand Black Ferns rugby player Lavinia Gould will make her debut off the bench at 38 years of age.
While Botille Vette-Welsh, who runs out for her fourth All Stars, will welcome a fierce match-up with Indigenous fullback Tamika Upton — who will star in her first All Stars campaign.
Co-captain Caitlan Johnston and Quincy Dodd will lead out the youngest Indigenous side in All Stars history.
Indigenous coach Ben Jeffries will be relying on playmakers Dodd and Tahlulah Tillett to help lay the platform for Upton — the leading tryscorer in NRLW history with six tries in seven games.
Tillett earned her All Stars recall after a horrible run of injuries in recent years with back-to-back knee reconstructions threatening her career.
"I'm really keen to see Tahlulah in action," Upton said.
"She's a big footy head, she's played touch her whole life and she has a great kicking game.
The coming together of two First Nations embedded in jersey designs
Connection to country is the meaning behind this year's Indigenous jersey, with all 16 NRL teams depicted inside the Rainbow Serpent of artist Elenore Binge's design.
"Dreaming Stories have been passed down for centuries. He [the Rainbow Serpent] is a representation of the mainland Indigenous peoples," Binge said.
"The Dhari headdress and sea is a representation of the Torres Strait Islander people. The fish also represent the water and the fisherman of the Torres Strait.
"The white footprints represent our ancestors who have paved the way before us, the emu and kangaroo prints represent the traditional animals that will continue to walk together in unity with us as one nation and the rugby league community moving forward and celebrating both our two Indigenous cultures.
"The eurah leaves are depicted in the design as a way of our nation healing together as one."
The Māori jersey, designed by David Panapa, similarly represents the coming together of people and connection to culture.
"The design incorporates unity from all of Māoridom throughout Aotearoa," Panapa said.
"Building pathways together with our wāhine (women) and tāne (men), Māori rugby league teams and paving the way for our tamariki tama (boys) and kotiro (girls).
"The koru (spine) designs depict new life, growth, strength and peace. Where the koru designs entwine with each other this means the joining of two Indigenous peoples coming together in this match.
"The koru design integrates and weaves throughout the Māori jersey to embrace Māoridom and carrying the wairua (spiritual) of all those who have represented New Zealand Māori rugby league, on and off the field."
The next generation leading the way
Co-hosting this year's game day proceedings are four, now year 12 students who were part of the NRL's 2021 Indigenous Youth Leadership Summit — Claudia Brown, Bailey Scholes, Tallara Bamblett and Dylan McConnell.
The summit brought together 64 year 11 students who aspire to be young leaders in their communities, with the opportunity to elect themselves to become the NRL's 2021 Youth Ambassadors.
Students of the NRL's School to Work program will also be helping run the event on Saturday.
The program, which supports Indigenous students making their transition from school to work or tertiary education, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, with over 3,000 participants successful coming through the program.
Cultural dances/performances
Parramatta Stadium will showcase a range of cultural dances and performances as we celebrate the coming together of two rich First Nations cultures.
For the first time, a special joint performance will be delivered by Aboriginal dance group, Muggera, and Māori group, Te Aranganui.
"In the centre of the field, we want to portray this fusion of understanding and fusion of culture where there is respect.
"I heard this from the players at the All Stars launch through the week and it perfectly sums up the meaning of this event and the reason we are all here: 'win or lose, our cultures win'."
Torres Strait Islander group Yaba Kerker Otaba will also be performing, along with solo acts, of five-time ARIA nominee Budjerah and 2018 The Voice contestant Joel Wiggins.
All Stars schedule
All times AEST
4:00pm — Gates Open at Parramatta Stadium
4:05pm — Touch Football, Indigenous vs. Māori All Stars
5:20pm — Women's, Indigenous vs. Māori All Stars
8:10pm — Men's, Indigenous vs. Māori All Stars
