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Midnight Dreaming
Three Newcastle Knights players — one NRLW, two NRL — in the Nginhabulagu Indigenous jersey against a dusk sky

Newcastle Knights · 2025 Indigenous Round

Nginhabulagu

“Belonging” — Wiradjuri language

The Newcastle Knights 2025 Indigenous Jersey · Designed by Renae Lamb

Worn by the Knights’ NRL and NRLW sides across Rounds 23 and 24 — the first Indigenous Round to run over two consecutive rounds.

The story
Club
nib Newcastle Knights — NRL and NRLW
Year
2025 Indigenous Round
Revealed
21 July 2025
Worn
Rounds 23 and 24 — v Panthers, McDonald Jones Stadium, 8 August; v Cowboys, Townsville, 17 August
Artist
Renae Lamb — Wiradjuri and Wongaibon, founder of Midnight Dreaming
Country
Awabakal Country, where the Knights live and play

The club’s own words

The nib Newcastle Knights are proud to unveil their 2025 Indigenous Jersey - a striking design that represents connection, strength, and cultural identity, crafted by local Indigenous artist Renae Lamb.

Titled Nginhabulagu - meaning ‘Belonging’ in Wiradjuri language - the artwork is a tribute to the unity found in rugby league, and to the powerful role the Knights play in bringing together men, women, and youth through shared dreams and cultural pride.

The design of the 2025 Indigenous Jersey is layered with meaning.

Central to the piece is the unifying spirit of players who proudly carry the strength of their people and their ancestors onto the field each week.

The motif honours the past while inspiring future generations.

Subtle, sweeping elements, inspired by Awabakal Country - including local waterways, rolling hills, and native flora - form the foundation of the jersey’s background.

These are more than just design features; they are respectful acknowledgements of the land the Knights call home, and a visual representation of the stories held in the soil by its Traditional Custodians.

Renae Lamb, a proud Wiradjuri and Wongaibon woman, was born and raised on the traditional lands of the Wonnarua, Awabakal, and Worimi peoples - the very Country on which the Knights reside and compete.

Deeply connected to these communities, Renae’s work is a reflection of her heritage and her dedication to strengthening equity, equality, and cultural acceptance for Indigenous Australians.

A graduate of the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Indigenous Studies and a minor in Education, Renae is also the founder and CEO of Midnight Dreaming Studio.

Her creative practice is grounded in truth-telling and empowerment, and her collaboration with the Knights speaks to the shared values of community, resilience, and identity.

Newcastle Knights — “Revealed: 2025 Indigenous Jersey”, 21 July 2025 — newcastleknights.com.au

The Nginhabulagu artwork across the front of the jersey, close
The Nginhabulagu artwork across the front of the jersey, closePhoto: Newcastle Knights
The gold and white motif on the leg of the Indigenous Round shorts
The gold and white motif on the leg of the Indigenous Round shortsPhoto: Newcastle Knights

What is in the design

Reported consistently by the Knights and the Newcastle Herald.

  • A shield

    Strength and identity.

  • Circular meeting places

    The Knights uniting on Awabakal Country.

  • Motifs in gold

    Connection and legacy — for the players and for the fans.

  • Men, women and children

    Depicted together, united by culture and by the team.

  • Awabakal Country beneath it all

    Sweeping background elements drawn from local waterways, rolling hills and native flora.

“My design reflected the pride, spirit, and enduring legacy of Indigenous players who carried their families, culture, and communities with them.”

Renae Lamb

As reported by the Newcastle Herald, August 2025

Renae on the jersey, in her own words

Meet the artist behind our Indigenous Jersey — Newcastle Knights, 8 August 2025 (2:10)

Self-hosted from Renae’s own copy — nothing loads until you press play. The film on the Knights’ site.

The jersey, on the dunes

The Knights’ own shoot with their NRL and NRLW players in Nginhabulagu, at sunset on Awabakal Country.

  • Shorts and hem detail of the Indigenous Round kit on a red ground
    Shorts and hem detail of the Indigenous Round kit on a red groundPhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • Three Knights players shoulder to shoulder in the Indigenous jersey at sunset
    Three Knights players shoulder to shoulder in the Indigenous jersey at sunsetPhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • The same three players on the dune, wider
    The same three players on the dune, widerPhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • A player silhouetted with arms wide, the sun behind, in monochrome
    A player silhouetted with arms wide, the sun behind, in monochromePhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • A player with arms wide on the dunes under a purple and pink sky
    A player with arms wide on the dunes under a purple and pink skyPhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • A solo figure on the dune ridge at dusk
    A solo figure on the dune ridge at duskPhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • A player silhouetted against the setting sun
    A player silhouetted against the setting sunPhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • A male player in the jersey under a cloud-streaked sky
    A male player in the jersey under a cloud-streaked skyPhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • An NRLW player in the Nginhabulagu jersey, hands on hips
    An NRLW player in the Nginhabulagu jersey, hands on hipsPhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • A male player on the dune ridge in the Indigenous jersey
    A male player on the dune ridge in the Indigenous jerseyPhoto: Newcastle Knights
  • A player full length on the dunes in the Nginhabulagu jersey
    A player full length on the dunes in the Nginhabulagu jerseyPhoto: Newcastle Knights

Photographs on this page marked “Newcastle Knights” are the club’s, published on newcastleknights.com.au and used here to show Renae’s commissioned work. Source URLs are recorded in the project evidence. Written clearance from Knights media is on the pre-launch checklist.

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