Indigenous Heritage /

Our Indigenous Heritage

Acknowledgement

We pay our respects to the Burramattagal people, the mighty eel, fish and turtles that are abundant in the winding Parramatta River. Home to the Burramatta people, a local clan of the Darug Nation, and a ‘place where the eels lie down’.

Our Indigenous connection

For the River. For the Land.  
 
The Parramatta Eels have a strong indigenous connection and long association to the Parramatta area.  
 
The Eel is the totem for the Burramatta people. In the Darug language, ‘Burra’ means ‘Eel’. The Eel is an important animal in many First Nations and Pacific Islander creation stories because of its resilience. 
 
From European civilisation, Burramatta slowly changed to the word ‘Parramatta’.  
 
Over the Eels’ history, a total of 40 Indigenous players are known to have played for the Club across the NRL, ARL, NSWRL and NRLW competitions.  
 
The Eels have conducted extensive research to identify each of these players and recognise their heritage and service to the Club.  
 
We join the NRL in acknowledging their contribution during the annual Indigenous Round. Our players are given the honour of designing our annual Indigenous jersey, and an opportunity to tell stories about their journey and their mob. 
 
Click to view a selection of jerseys designed by our Indigenous players.  

NRL

NRLW