Indigenous twins Tashiem and Tyler Abbott embarked on a 2,900km trek by camel from Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territory, to Taree in New South Wales, to follow their dreams of playing rugby league.
FOR many people, joining a rugby league club can be as easy as jumping in the car and heading down to sign on day, paying your fees and being home that afternoon.
But not for indigenous twins Tashiem and Tyler Abbott. Along with family friend and camel handler Barry Watts, the twins who were only 12 years old at the time, embarked on an intrepid 6-month journey across some of Australia’s harshest terrain.
Whilst many of us would struggle to adapt to such an overwhelming trek, the twins looked at it not only as sheer excitement, but as a chance for them to both have a better life.
Tashiem recollection of going cross country on camels and his love for rugby league is intriguing to say the least.
“I was born in Ntaria (Hermannsburg) a small Aboriginal mission in the Ljirapinta Ward about 125km west of Alice Springs.
“Ntaria was built on a sacred site and is associated with the Aranda Ratapa dreaming people which is spiritual land that forms part of the Aboriginal indigenous dreamtime.
“It is only a small mission with a population of around 550 people, so as you can imagine, for young fellas like my brother and I, opportunities for work and sport are limited.”
Whilst rugby league takes a back seat in the top end of Australia, the twins started playing Australian Rules football which is popular amongst indigenous youth in Alice Springs.
However, watching the NRL and talking with family in Taree, a place known for producing top line indigenous NRL players such as Latrell Mitchell, the Abbott twins were on a quest to follow suit.
“Mum gave us her blessings to head to Taree and our camel handler Barry was already going on a trek across the desert to spread the word of indigenous awareness and for his own cultural reasons.
“Both Tyler and I asked mum if we could tag along because we had family in Taree and the opportunities were much better there than in Alice Springs, so we packed our things and left.
“Getting the camels for the journey was the hard part, but my grandfather knew how to catch them in the wild and he was able to rustle up 10 for our trip.
“When we started our journey, we packed some clothes, 100 litres of water and enough food to keep us going for a bit until we got to the next cattle station.”
Whilst the twins did not go hungry or thirsty, they did shoot kangaroos as a source of meat and filled up their water containers when they crossed into cattle properties.
“People often asked us if we ever got lost or if we went hungry or without water and the answer was no. We are used to living off the land and were able to survive as best as we could.”
The Abbotts also did not have the luxury of bunking down at a 5-star resort, instead, the twins simply rolled out a dusty swag and slept wherever they could.
“That is the best thing about a swag, you just roll it out whenever, wherever. You do not have to pay for accommodation, you just find a place that is comfortable enough to have a rest.
“Normally, we would trek with the camels for about 30km then stop and have a break, have something to eat and then sleep before doing it all again the next day.”
When the Abbotts finally reached their destination, they arrived with only four of the original 10 camels, with two running off, two passing away and the other two sold to help fund the trip.
“When we got to Taree we did not waste any time in signing up to play rugby league and both Tyler and I were accepted into the Clontarf academy thanks to our family in the area who made it happen.
“Rugby league rules were tricky to start with because we were both so used to Aussie Rules and we kept trying to pass it forward which is not allowed, so we did struggle a bit at first.
“But once we found our feet, we knew we had made the right decision to leave.”
Roll the clock forward and as teenagers, the Abbotts have become hot property, signing with NSW Cup team Taree City Bulls and are both on the radar of several NRL sides.
“We learned the rules pretty quickly and because we were both in decent shape, the physical part of rugby league was not a problem for us.
“We must have impressed somebody, because we both gained selection in the NSWRL U16s elite indigenous program which was a dream come true.
“I do not really miss AFL anymore because rugby league is more challenging. I love tackling and just the freedom of running the ball that league offers.”
With NRL clubs Cronulla, Wests Tigers and Parramatta knocking on the twins’ door, the dream of reaching the NRL may soon become a reality.
“We have had a few offers from NRL clubs, but for the time being we will just continue to keep learning and getting better each week.
“To play alongside Latrell Mitchell at South Sydney would be a dream come true considering he is from Taree as well, so we just need to train hard and see what happens.
“You have to remember, we took this journey to follow our dreams.
“Rugby league has given us both opportunities that most kids back home in Alice Springs may never get to experience.
“We are both just grateful that we made the journey in once piece and thank everybody that supported us along the way.”
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 507 (April 2025)
