Hydraulink sponsors jerseys for students’ self-funded League and cultural tour
Hydraulink sponsors jerseys for Palm Beach Currumbin students’ self-funded Fiji tour, supporting rugby and cultural exchange.
What’s Happening?
Hydraulink Gold Coast and Hydraulink Brisbane North have teamed up to support a sport and cultural exchange initiative led by Palm Beach Currumbin (PBC) State High School.
Over the course of a year, 34 senior boys self-funded an eight-day tour to Fiji, organised through Petero’s Sports Tours by former NRL champion Petero Civoniceva.
This life-changing experience included rugby league clinics, training with local clubs, and immersive cultural activities.
Why it Matters?
The PBC tour highlights the role of sport in fostering cross-cultural connections and enriching youth development.
Hydraulink Gold Coast Owner-Operators Tim and Katrina Phillips and Hydraulink Brisbane North Co-owners Andrew Schuler and Martin Smith say their involvement reflects Hydraulink's commitment to community engagement and the enduring impact of grassroots sports initiatives.
According to Tim Phillips, “This takes the community involvement and volunteer service fostered by sport another step further, by investing goodwill and practical support into our near neighbours overseas whose people have such a dynamic sporting character.”
By the Numbers
34 senior boys participated in the Fiji tour
8 days in Fiji, visiting schools, local clubs, and villages
2 competitive matches against U18 Fiji Bati representative teams
Zoom In
Throughout the tour, students engaged with the Fijian community by running rugby clinics at four schools, training with two local clubs, and visiting villages where they planted trees in national parks.
Reflecting on the experience, PBC teacher and sport excellence coach Tim Maccan said, “The PBC SHS Fiji Tour was fantastic and such a great experience for our senior boys teams. We are a public school, and the kids paid for this trip all themselves over a 12-month period.”
Tim added that after the positive reception, the school plans to repeat this experience, following a similar successful tour in 2018.
Zoom Out
Hydraulink’s ethos of supporting community service and youth engagement is echoed across its network.
Tim and Katrina Phillips’ Hydraulink Gold Coast recently earned back-to-back accolades, winning Hydraulink’s New Franchisee of the Year award and the Local Marketing Hero award.
“Our success is due to customer care, community values and the fantastic team here at Hydraulink Gold Coast – our team spirit is helping to make our young business such a success,” said Tim, emphasising the company’s commitment to local investment and youth support.
Hydraulink Brisbane North Principal Martin Smith, one of the pioneers of the Hydraulink brand in Brisbane, highlights a similar dedication: “The Group’s community support ethos has won it many supporters through initiatives that support community service at a grassroots level.”
Martin, together with his business partner Andrew Schuler, has expanded the Brisbane North distributorship, bringing Hydraulink’s renowned safety, compliance, and operational standards to Bayside businesses.
Local Impact
The Hydraulink-supported tour offered PBC students an unparalleled opportunity to experience Fijian culture first-hand.
The tour provided valuable cultural and sporting exchanges that broadened students’ perspectives and nurtured community ties, a sentiment shared by Hydraulink’s owners.
Hydraulink’s support for the trip extended to gear provided by Dynasty Sport and helped make this experience possible for students who financed the journey themselves.
What to Look for Next
With the enthusiastic response from participants and hosts, PBC State High School is already planning future tours, inspired by the successes of this year and 2018.
Hydraulink’s continued community focus underscores its commitment to the development of young Australians and fostering positive international relationships.