The grassroots story behind the community sport movement

Charles Darwin University will send its first team of 14 First Nations students and athletes, named Dangudbila, to the Indigenous Nationals in Brisbane for competition in touch football, netball, basketball and volleyball.

The move comes as local institutions focus on building participation from the ground up rather than relying on established national leagues. Darwin Region School Sport already runs competitive programs for high school students aged 9 to 19 in basketball, Australian Rules Football, rugby league, soccer, netball, tennis, cricket and touch football, creating clear pathways from school grounds to higher-level events.

School Sport NT and venue links

School Sport NT organises trials, training and selections for teams that advance to regional and interstate championships. Top performers move through house carnivals and inter-school meets to the Arafura Stadium at Marrara Sporting Complex, a Class 2 World Athletics-certified facility that hosts Northern Territory titles and the 2026 Oceania Athletics Championships. Darwin High School runs its own structured athletics program in Term 3 alongside basketball, netball, cross country and swimming.

These efforts operate alongside other local activity such as the two-week elite swimming camp now under way at the CDU Wellness Centre for 17 swimmers from Queensland’s Saint Peters Western club. The combination shows how university and school resources are being used to keep athletes training and competing inside the Northern Territory.

Next steps for participants

Students and athletes who progress through Darwin Region School Sport and the new Dangudbila squad will have defined routes into representative teams and further events at Arafura Stadium. The programs continue to accept registrations through the existing school and university channels without announced changes to schedules or eligibility rules.