NRL: Pacific Island players engage in leadership camp

30 per cent of current NRL players are of Pacific Island heritage including Manu Vatuvei (Tongan) and Ben Matulino (Samoan). Photo / Getty Images

The NRL hopes to empower Pacific Islander players to better balance the demands of top-level rugby league with cultural expectations in a "ground-breaking" leadership camp.

Almost 50 NRL stars and team officials, all of Pacific Island heritage, assembled in Sydney on Friday for the three-day camp initiated by the's NRL welfare and education officer, former Kiwi Test centre Nigel Vagana.

The camp will focus on strengthening the players' connection to their culture as well as managing the expectations of being an elite NRL player.

"In Pacific culture family is number one and a lot of our players have to make decisions between a family commitment and a club commitment," Vagana said.

"That's a big area that I guess a lot of other cultures don't understand and I think for us it's about working out that balance to exist in this environment but at the same time maintaining our cultural connections.

"We want them to be leaders in the game and leaders in the community but we've got to make sure they understand their own identity first.

"Anyone who understands themselves and their history acts accordingly and a lot of our boys, they are removed from their cultures a lot.

"We want to make sure they understand that the game's supporting them."

With almost 30 per cent of current NRL players hailing from Pacific Island heritage, chief executive David Gallop said the camp was also aimed at equipping them to support future generations.

"Learning about their own culture, learning about the important role they can play in their own communities is a start for them and it is also an opportunity for us to take on board their views of bringing Pacific Island kids through our game," Gallop said.

"I think this program is ground breaking and we look forward to making it an annual part of the calendar."

- AAP