The Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team, affectionately known as 'Lloydies,' was established over three decades ago with the mission of enhancing the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rugby. We use rugby as a powerful vehicle to provide educational opportunities and life enrichment for young Indigenous Australians.

Emerging from the challenges posed by Covid-19, like many community organisations, Lloydies has persevered. In 2024, we expanded the annual Ella 7s to include 57 teams and are now working to forge a robust pathway for our youth in rugby 7s. Our goal is to create programs that offer equal opportunities for both males and females and to ensure equitable distribution of funding. In 2023, we sent a male team from the Ella 7s to Singapore, and we plan to send teams again in 2024 to both Singapore and Samoa. To provide comparable opportunities for females, we aim to send an U16 and U18 team to the ASRU Championships, and a women's team to the Dubai 7s in November.

We are dedicated to developing the sporting talents of Indigenous athletes while also supporting their academic pursuits. Our commitment is to empower Indigenous youth through rugby, fostering skills and experiences that extend well beyond the playing field.