The North Melbourne Kangaroos are delighted to announce a new partnership with the global engineering and construction firm, Laing O’Rourke.  

Laing O’Rourke will support the club's AFLW and VFLW programs as an inaugural premium partner of the club’s new Freestyle – Women in Trades program. 

The partnership will focus on creating a sustainable culture shift across the building and construction industry using AFLW as a vehicle to help inspire, change and create discussion on gender diversity.

The program is designed to leverage the brand recognition and currency of the AFLW in the Victorian community to attract and amplify the opportunities available for women and non-binary people in the construction sector. It will provide connections to construction pathways through 'Try a Trade' events, opportunities for training through local TAFE and other registered training organisations, as well as connections to employer partners including Laing O’Rourke.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Laing O’Rourke to the Kangaroos family,” North Melbourne Chief Commercial Officer Sam Bingley said.

“The building and construction industry has had a similar journey to footy prior to AFLW, with challenges around participation, representation and retention. Seeing how far AFLW has come in such a short period of time both at the elite level and grass roots level, there is a great opportunity to connect this with trades and construction all over the country.

“Much like ourselves, Laing O’Rourke is committed to driving real change across the industry, so the partnership is a great fit.”

Laing O’Rourke Director Andy Hunter said the company is proud to partner with the club.

“Laing O’Rourke is proud to partner with the North Melbourne Kangaroos and continue leading the construction sector when it comes to improving gender diversity,” Hunter said.

“Our partnership with North Melbourne Kangaroos will help us engage with a new audience of women and non-binary people who would suit a career in construction, and then connect them to meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities.”  

About Laing O’Rourke 

Founded in the United Kingdom and with more than 70 years involvement in the construction and infrastructure market, Laing O’Rourke is an AUD $6 billion international operation including nearly two decades in the Australian market. ​Australia is Laing O’Rourke’s second largest geography and delivers projects as diverse as the environments in which they are built. From high security military bases and major rail transport infrastructure projects, through to landmark commercial buildings in capital cities and Indigenous housing in Australia’s remote north. Laing O’Rourke is committed to driving real change across the industry to provide men, women and gender-diverse people with rewarding and challenging careers.  

In 2020 and 2022, Laing O’Rourke was awarded the prestigious Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s (WGEA) Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation and in 2021 announced far-reaching new sustainability targets, including a commitment to decarbonise its own operations by 2030 and achieve equal numbers of men and women among its 5,500 global staff by 2033. 

Visit laingorourke.com to learn more