Players delivered a wellbeing program to students in Taree on Tuesday and then Forster and Pacific Palms on Wednesday.

Over the two days, the Cronulla Sharks visited 4,843 students in 15 schools and held two Come and Try clinics across the region.

Players who made the journey from Cronulla were Pat Politoni, Matthew Prior, Dallas Wells and Todd Murphy. 

A special presentation was made on Wednesday to the YMCA Forster by the players of a signed jersey to assist with their upcoming swimathon.

Community Carnival sees players from every club visit local and regional communities across Australia and New Zealand throughout February.

The community message of this year’s event is Wellbeing, focussing on everything from nutrition and healthy eating, to regular exercise and mental health.

“This is a particularly special Community Carnival as we celebrate 15 years of the program,”  Adam Check, Head of NRL Community said

“Community Carnival has made a considerable impact over the years on important issues such as bullying and social inclusion. The program has proven that when players talk, students listen.”

The message players are taking into schools this year is a simple but important one – taking care of your diet, physical fitness and mental health is vital to your overall wellbeing.  Over the four weeks of Community Carnival (from February 2 through to February 27), NRL players are expected to reach a staggering 250,000 kids across 300 towns and 900 schools, and deliver 80 Junior League clinics. 

Players will be armed with teaching resources endorsed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), which demonstrate how important nutrition, physical activity and mental health is to overall wellbeing