Broncos' 2025 Indigenous Jersey: Culture Woven into Every Thread

The Brisbane Broncos have unveiled their 2025 Indigenous jersey, a continuation of the club’s deepening relationship with Country, culture, and community. Titled Ancestors Armour 2, the jersey stands as both an artwork and a statement, born from collaboration between Indigenous players, the club, and acclaimed Quandamooka artist Delvene Cockatoo‑Collins.

Following the impact of last year’s edition, the 2025 design doesn’t just evolve. It roots itself further in story and place. With natural, earthy tones drawn from Quandamooka Country and a maroon collar anchoring it in Broncos identity, the jersey is both local and legacy-driven.

A prominent feature this year is the cast-net, a traditional Aboriginal fishing tool, symbolising connection, strength, and the idea that no one stands alone. The design is layered. Waterlines and sand patterns trace the bond between land and sea, while subtle nods to ancient practices, like natural dyeing with banksia bark, speak to knowledge passed across generations.

But this jersey wasn’t built in isolation. It was shaped through conversation, through a design workshop at Red Hill in late 2023, where players like Jordan Riki and Kotoni Staggs shared their stories, their identities, and their hopes for how culture should be represented on the field. Cockatoo‑Collins listened, sketched, and translated those voices into fabric. The result is a jersey that’s not just worn. It’s carried.

The official reveal was as considered as the jersey itself. Held on July 11 at Brisbane’s Bille Brown Theatre, it took place during a performance of Dear Son, a powerful First Nations production centering Black fatherhood, legacy, and healing. Former Bronco and Margany man Jharal Yow Yeh introduced the jersey, calling on the parallels between theatre and sport as storytelling arenas. Cockatoo‑Collins echoed that belief, framing the jersey as a modern form of armour, not just gear, but a visible link to ancestors each time players step onto the field.

The 2025 Indigenous jersey will feature in both the NRL and NRLW Indigenous Rounds. The Broncos men’s side will wear it against the Melbourne Storm on August 7 and in their crosstown clash with the Dolphins on August 16. The women’s side will run out in it during their August 10 fixture against the Raiders and again on August 16 in a double-header showcase.

And for those moved by its message, the jersey is available now via the Broncos Team Store and other select retailers, with sizes for men, women, and youth.

More than merchandise, this jersey is a tribute. To Country. To culture. To the voices shaping the game from within. It is a reminder that rugby league has always been more than sport. It is a platform for truth-telling, pride, and connection. And through intentional design and real collaboration, the Broncos continue to walk the talk when it comes to honouring First Nations stories, both on and off the field.