Clint Newton and Rugby League Legends take on Kokoda Trek to urgently rally support for children who have been abused.

Melbourne, Sydney, 23 September, 2026 – Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) CEO Clint Newton will be joined by former NRL stars Ben Murdoch-Masila, Jesse Sene-Lefao, Nita Maynard-Perrin, Alex Glenn, Eloni Vunakece and other rugby league legends, on a trek along the Kokoda Track this October, raising funds for Australian Childhood Foundation and children who have experienced the trauma of abuse.

Four in ten Australian young people have survived maltreatment, almost 30% have lived through physical abuse, and 25% have been sexually abused. Right now, children who have experienced abuse and violence are facing a three year waiting list for support. Three years is too long for a child to wait for safety. The funds raised will help children receive the trauma informed therapeutic support they urgently need to heal.

The Trek for Healing will run from 16–23 October 2026. It has been timed so the group arrives in Papua New Guinea in time for the Rugby World Cup match between Samoa and Papua New Guinea on 23 October, helping celebrating the cultural diversity of the trekkers and rugby league.

This partnership between Australian Childhood Foundation and the Rugby League Players Association will see up to 24 participants walk the 96 kilometre track once fought over by Australian and Japanese forces in 1942. Every step on Kokoda becomes a step toward healing for a child recovering from trauma, abuse and adversity.

There is still an opportunity to join the Trek for Healing, but places are filling quickly.
Due to strong demand, only ten spots remain for willing trekkers to join the group on the Kokoda Track, help raise much-needed funds for children who have experienced trauma, and attend the Rugby League World Cup clash between Samoa and Papua New Guinea.

The Kokoda Track is roughly 250,000 steps and the Trek for Healing aims to raise $250,000 – one dollar for every step, one step for every child who needs therapy. Each step is a symbol of courage, and each dollar is a pathway to healing.

Select Cards, who hold the official trading card licence for the NRL, are a Major Partner of the Trek for Healing as are Australian airline Qantas.

“Select Cards is incredibly proud to be a major partner of the Trek for Healing and to support an initiative that will make a meaningful difference for children,” said Grant Copley, Select Cards founder.

“Helping raise funds to support children who have experienced trauma is something we’re proud to support. The opportunity to contribute directly to communities in Papua New Guinea, who are some of the most avid rugby league fans in the world, makes the partnership even more special.

“As part of the Trek, we’ll also be providing trading cards and sticker books for children along the journey. We know how much kids love collecting cards, and they can also be a fun way to encourage reading, learning and engagement. If we can bring some enjoyment to children in PNG while supporting the broader purpose of the Trek for Healing, that’s something we’re really excited about.”

“This trek is about walking in the footsteps of people who gave everything, and turning that same resilience into something that helps children rebuild a sense of safety. Bringing the rugby league family together behind Australian Childhood Foundation is exactly the kind of challenge our game should be leading,” said Australian Childhood Foundation Ambassador, and RLPA CEO, Clint Newton.

“I know what it means to carry pain in silence. Kokoda will be brutal, but it’s nothing compared to what these children carry every day. If walking 96 kilometres helps a child get into a therapy room three years sooner, I’ll walk every step of it,” said Ben Murdoch-Masila, who has spent recent seasons mentoring young Pasifika teammates through grief and adversity.

Through Talk Your Walk, I’ve seen what happens when a kid finally feels safe enough to speak. That’s the first step to changing a life. No child who’s been hurt should carry that pain in silence, waiting years for help. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to feel safe. They deserve help now, not later. If Kokoda gets one child into that room sooner, every step is worth it,” said Jesse Sene-Lefao, founder of Talk Your Walk Foundation.

“Leadership is about showing up for people when it counts. Every rugby league player understands sacrifice and resilience, and Kokoda will test us in both. We are doing this so children can get the support they need to feel safe again,” said Alex Glenn, who captained the Brisbane Broncos across a 13-year NRL career.

“Kokoda has always stood as a symbol of courage, endurance and resilience, qualities that mirror the strength children show every single day as they work to heal from trauma. I am thrilled to see Clint Newton and the rugby league community take on this trek, because every step they walk becomes a step toward healing for a child who has been abused. By joining the Kokoda Trek, participants become part of a community walking shoulder to shoulder with children who need us most, helping close the gap between a child and the trauma informed care they deserve.” Said Janise Mitchell, CEO of Australian Childhood Foundation.

To support the Trek and Australian Childhood Foundation:
Funds raised will go directly to Australian Childhood Foundation, a national therapeutic care organisation working with children and young people affected by trauma, abuse, exploitation and neglect for 40 years.

To support the trek, sponsor a participant or leave a message of encouragement, the public is invited to visit the official fundraising page, where every dollar raised goes directly toward giving a child who has experienced abuse the trauma-informed care they need to heal.

Media enquiries:

Gina Dafalia
PR and Communications
0447558195
gdafalia@childhood.org.au

Joey Ratcliffe
General Manager of Communications and Partnerships
0415 708 774
jratcliffe@rlpa.com.au