This week’s Canberra Raiders home match is a special one for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander winger Xavier Savage.

The clash against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at GIO Stadium Canberra on Friday 8 August takes place during Indigenous round.

The match comes just two days after a documentary, Kulpiyam: The Xavier Savage Story dropped on Fox League and Kayo Sports. It focuses on Savage leaving his home in North Queensland to chase a dream in the nation’s capital.

“I’m very excited for everyone to see the documentary,” Savage told the media at a press conference on 6 August.

“There was a lot more we could put into it, but it was just the main parts of what I do when I go home and what family means to me and culture.

“Hopefully everyone gets to see that and hopefully it inspires the younger generation, if not older people too, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. It’s very exciting.”

Savage said Kulpiyam meant a lot to him because it was about where he’s from, his journey to the NRL – and it’s his Indigenous name, meaning rolling thunder.

He said it was different being on camera in this context but even harder for his family.

“It was definitely an experience being mic’d up throughout the days,” Savage said.

“Trying to act natural was pretty hard too. But my family sort of helped me with that.

“And the boys too, Morgan (Smithies) and Huddy (Hudson Young), got me through it pretty smoothly and not too many takes.”

CD asked what people would learn when watching the documentary.

“Some of the ups and downs of a footy player’s career,” he said.

“Being able to see when there’s wins and losses in there. It’s mostly happy all the time, but then obviously, the downside for players that have to leave their families.

“And mine being also at a young age is probably the circumstance with that and a lot of other players too.

“So just the hardship that you have to face if you want to achieve your dreams.

“At the end of the day, it’s not as hard as what some people go through but it’s just explaining that story a bit.”

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart features in the documentary. CD asked Stuart how it felt to be part of the documentary and to see it released for everyone else to watch.

“I think it was really good for Xavier. A big part of his maturity and development as a young man. Good for his family back in Cairns,” he told CD.

Stuart said it was also good for the wider people, as well as those that had helped Savage along the way.

“To get to this level there’s a lot of people that help you behind what people see from the media’s point of view,” he said.

“There are so many people who are the unsung heroes in a lot of these boys’ careers when they get to this level and the people that are the unseen ones are the guys who are right behind you in the bad times.

“It’s very easy to see the people when you’re scoring tries and winning games of football, it’s very easy to see a lot of people put their arms around you.

“It’s the people that you don’t see when in the tough times for each individual.

“So that was portrayed very well in the movie, and I was proud for Xavier.

“But as I say, how proud he’s been courageous in regard to his journey leaving, his journey hasn’t been an easy one and he’s done a really good job.”

Indigenous round

Raiders’ Indigenous stars Sebastian Kris, Xavier Savage, Jamal Fogarty, Vena Patuki-Case, Grace Kemp and Relna Wuruki-Hosea all helped launch this year’s jersey in July that will be worn this round.

The artist for this year’s jersey is Ngunnawal, Bundjalung and Kamilaroi woman Shaenice Miles, who incorporated a range of different elements and designs.

She collaborated with the Raiders’ Indigenous playing group during the creation of the design to ensure an accurate and meaningful depiction of culture was included.

The 2025 jersey features a Torres Strait Islander influence, while highlighting the culture of all First Nations people in the wider Raiders family. 

The Torres Strait artwork was supplied by Kris’ uncle Eric Babia.

The jersey also pays homage to the 2025 NAIDOC theme of “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy”.

The front of the jersey showcases important aspects of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal life with coconut nets, yarning circles, water and representations of ancestors all present. These inclusions bring broader meaning to further groups of Savage’s heritage, representing both his Aboriginal (Birri Gubba and Gunggandji) and Torres Strait Islander (Erub, Darnley, Badu and Moa) history.

The jersey also depicts the Torres Strait Islander totems of Kris’ tribe; the Wagadagam and Panay peoples, with the front of the jersey displaying a shovel nose shark, dugong, crocodile and a snake. 

Babia’s artwork also illustrates how the environment and weather patterns intertwine with our lifestyle. The people of the Torres Strait live by ancient traditions governed by tidal currents, winds, the stars and the moon.

“It’s probably my favourite, I think just because of our connection to the jersey and our input when it was getting made,” Kris told the media at a press conference on 6 August.

“The Raiders asked if I could get any artwork from up in the Torres Straits, so I talked to my uncle, being a key figure in my learning of my culture.

“I loved that he was able to be a part of the jersey, and he’ll be coming down (for the match) too.”

CD asked Kris how it felt for him to wear the totems that represented him, alongside his teammates.

“Very special for me. It’s kind of like they’re representing me and Xavier and the other Indigenous boys, so yeah, very special for us,” he said.

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