When North Queensland Toyota Cowboys NRLW halfback, dual Indigenous All-Star and 2023 Veronica White Medal nominee Tahlulah Tillett first laced up a pair of footy boots at the Cairns Kangaroos Junior Rugby League Club, she was the first girl to do so.
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Fast-forward 15 years, Tillett is creating history as part of the inaugural Cowboys NRLW side – but hasn’t lost sight of her priorities beyond pulling on the jersey.
A proud Torres Strait Islander woman and Cairns local, Tillett grew up idolising the great Johnathan Thurston, and dreamt of one day playing for the club she adored.
With that dream coming at just the right time for the 24-year-old – who’s following in her father Stephen Tillett’s footsteps - her appreciation for the club has shifted to the inspiration it now provides young North Queensland girls.
A chance earlier this year to re-visit her junior club revealed just how much the game has grown since her trailblazing days as a junior.
“To see how much it has grown up there and go back home and give back to the group of girls there, that’s pretty awesome,” Tillett said.
“The women’s game is definitely growing in North Queensland, and the level of female participation; I think it’s very important for us as NRLW players that we continue to get out into the community and show our faces.
“Everywhere we go, there’s girls running around playing footy… it’s important to make it known to these young girls this is something they can do; they can stay here in North Queensland and potentially one day represent the Cowboys NRLW team.”
For the community-focused Tillett, her return to her junior club was just one piece of the puzzle.
That trip was part of a regular Cowboys blitz in Cairns, giving her an opportunity to deliver club community programs in local primary and secondary schools.
Representing the club’s Try for 5! program – an incentive-based program encouraging school attendance – Tillett found deep satisfaction in presenting life-changing messages about education and working hard to young students.
It’s a role she’s performed for nearly two years as a Cowboys community ambassador and role model, driving social and education outcomes and inspiring the next generation across the North.
“It’s a crazy feeling, obviously for me growing up it was always the boys coming into the schools,” Tillett said.
“But now as a female, to be able to go into the schools, these girls have someone they can look up to and see there is a pathway.
“For me growing up this is what I’ve always been passionate about, getting out and giving back to the next generation – in particular our young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women and for them knowing that no matter where we come from, our cultural stories or background, there is an opportunity to go out there and achieve your dreams as long as you’re willing to work hard for it.”
Tillett continues that work back in Townsville, closer to Cowboys HQ, after taking on the role of NRL Cowboys House player ambassador in early 2023.
A unique boarding facility for 104 Indigenous students from across northern Queensland, the House provides a culturally-safe environment for young men and women to finish high school and move on to further training, education or employment.
It’s a place Tilly loves visiting, whether it’s for a daily meal or to help teach Island Dance, an activity she’ll join in with the students at the annual NAIDOC celebrations.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to build a great rapport with the young boys and girls here, and it’s good to see and hear about their journeys, and their cultural experiences as well, learning a bit about their story,” Tillett said of NRL Cowboys House.
“I normally try to pop in once or twice a week, have dinner with the kids, and more recently I came to join in a yarning circle with some of the girls which I thought was a really special moment for us.
“I got to share a bit more about who I am as a person and my journey, and then all the young girls shared about who they are and their journey.
“For these young kids, being a role model and coming in to share a bit of advice here and there is very special, but I’m learning a lot from them too.”
Asked how a teenage Tahlulah Tillett would react to the young woman she’s become, Tilly admitted it gives her goosebumps.
“I think she’d be shocked, to be honest,” Tillett said.
“Back then we didn’t know if there was going to be an opportunity to play in the NRLW and be in the position I am to do all this community work, so I think she’d be very shocked, but I know she’d be very proud as well.”
The Veronica White Medal – Woman of the Year recognises the incredible contribution by female rugby league players to their local communities and beyond.
Fan voting closes 5pm, Tuesday 29 August at nrl.com/community/awards/veronica-white-medal.
