Australian Government pledges $100,000 to Voice against Violence program

The NRL's Voice against Violence program has received a boost with the Australian Government committing $100,000 to help the game deliver the program to every local rugby league club in Fiji.

The commitment follows Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's recent visit to the Pacific Nation for the PM's XIII clashes in Suva last week.

One of the key off-field social messages of the PM's XIII trip focused around promoting awareness and prevention of violence against women and children.

Australian statistics reveal one in three women are victims of assault in Australia. This figure increases to two in three women across Fiji.

Leading NRL players including Australian internationals Jake Trbojevic, Tyson Frizell and Ben Hunt helped spread the message during their school and community visits whilst in Fiji.

The women's team, led by PM's XIII captain Karina Brown, also attended local communities to help deliver the program.

"Unfortunately domestic violence is a significant issue faced in Australia and across the Pacific," NRL Head of Government and Community Relations Jaymes Boland-Rudder told NRL.com.

"As a game we are committed to playing our part in preventing violence against women and children, which is why we are excited by this opportunity to deliver the Voice Against Violence program in Fiji.

"During the Prime Minister's XIII tour, we were able to deliver the program to the men's and women's Australian and Fijian teams and the messages really resonated with the players.

"There's no doubt the additional funding from the Australian Government will help us reach all rugby league clubs in Fiji and leave them with the simple message of 'Stand Up. Speak Out. Take Action' to prevent violence against women and children."

The program is delivered by former Canberra Raiders captain Alan Tongue and his community team, who travelled from Fiji to Tonga this week to continue working with local communities.