Bindal Sharks and IN SPORT: Keeping Culture, Community and History Alive
For more than four decades, the Bindal Sharks have been building a legacy that extends well beyond the sporting field.
Celebrating its 41st year, the Townsville-based Indigenous sporting organisation continues to play an important role in maintaining culture, community connection and history for generations of Indigenous families.
Now, a new partnership with IN SPORT is helping bring that story to a wider audience — using an Indigenous-owned sports media platform to capture, share and preserve the stories that make the Bindal Sharks community so unique.
For Jenny Pryor, the partnership is grounded in something much bigger than sport.
The partnership is grounded in shared Indigenous values, trust and a commitment to keeping community stories alive.
It provides an opportunity to preserve the history of the Bindal Sharks its people, stories and experiences while creating a record that can be shared with and passed on to future generations.
“This partnership is about having the right people that share the same values, but most importantly for our mob to have a place they can go to and see themselves and be proud of who they are.
I believe that Ian and Nicole, have got those same principles and values. And if they didn't, I wouldn't be working with them because I've got an obligation and a responsibility to our mob,” Pryor said.
Through live streaming and digital content, the partnership provides an opportunity for families, supporters and future generations to see their community represented and to look back on the moments that have shaped the Bindal Sharks over the years.
Taking the game to the world
The Bindal Sharks All Blacks Rugby League Carnival 2026 is being held in Townsville this Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October.
One of the most significant opportunities created through the IN SPORT partnership is the ability to share the carnival beyond the people who can attend in person.
The live streaming service will give supporters the chance to watch more than 80 games across three days for just $25.
For the Bindal Sharks, the digital platform isn't simply about broadcasting games. It is also part of a broader goal of creating greater financial independence for the organisation.
By generating funding through digital subscriptions, the club can reduce its reliance on government handouts and reinvest in the community and its future.
It is a model that demonstrates how sport, technology and community ownership can work together.
A partnership built on community
The Bindal Sharks' continued growth has been supported by strong relationships across the sporting community, including the Queensland Rugby League.
QRL representatives Kerry Richie and Scott Northworthy have provided important support to the organisation, with Richie bringing 17 years of experience and knowledge to the partnership.
That focus on collaboration extends throughout the carnival, where sport becomes a vehicle for connection, reconciliation and community participation.
The event will feature a range of inclusive sporting fixtures, including a reconciliation game involving police and the Australian Army, creating an opportunity for different parts of the community to come together through sport.
But while competition is at the heart of the carnival, creating a safe and welcoming environment remains the priority.
Pryor has established clear ground rules for the carnival, including a strict stance against violence and drugs, ensuring the event remains a family-friendly space where everyone can feel safe.
Investing in the next generation
That focus on the future will be on full display at the inaugural Colin Scott Youth Carnival, which will bring together around 450 children.
The carnival is designed to be more than a sporting competition, with youth leadership and development playing an important role.
For young participants, events like this provide an opportunity to experience competition, build confidence, connect with their culture and develop leadership skills in a supportive community environment.
And for the Bindal Sharks, it is another step in ensuring the organisation's legacy continues for generations to come.
After 41 years, the Sharks are not simply looking back at their history they are actively creating the next chapter.
Through its partnership with IN SPORT, that history can now be captured, shared and preserved digitally, ensuring the stories, people and moments that have shaped the Bindal Sharks remain accessible long after the final whistle.
Sport is the connection. Culture is the foundation. And the stories are the legacy.
