– August 2023 –

What Ability and the National Rugby League (NRL) will unite to put happiness first for people living with disabilities across the country.

Together they’re empowering communities on and off the field to support all abilities and athletes while also raising awareness for the disability sector. The partnership will focus on Athlete Pathway programs, disability education and celebrating the stories of support workers who also play rugby league.

What Ability Founder Steve Dresler said: “We are so excited to partner with the NRL to showcase the power of sport in breaking down barriers regarding disability in our community. It truly is a game for everyone, and we couldn’t be prouder to have our participants watching their support workers play this great game!”

“Across the board from NRL and NRLW professional athletes to under 20s, we have employed over 300 players as What Ability support workers in Australia. This is another reason we couldn’t be prouder to partner with the NRL and work together on building an inclusive community.”

Andrew Every, Executive General Manager Strategy, Transformation and Technology at NRL said “Our partnership with What Ability signifies an exciting milestone for us as we grow the number of people living with a disability to play, support and access the game across all formats.”

What Ability Athlete Manager and ex-NRL player, Keegan Hipgave is thrilled about the partnership, commenting on the alignment and crossover between the organisations, “To have so many NRL and NRLW players on board who share our vision, makes this partnership so special.”

“Players such as Tom, Jake and Ben Trbojevic, Junior Tatola, Jaime Chapman and Olivia Kernick, to name a few, have embraced What Ability and are helping us break down those barriers. We can’t wait to see what opportunities and awareness this partnership brings this year.”

To follow this partnership, check out What Ability (@whatability) and NRL (@nrl) on socials or if you’re looking for disability support, head to https://whatability.com.au/services/need-support/ to find out more.