As part of the NSWRL RISE Program, Year 9 Hennessy students, Gus Forbutt, Harry Coddington, Kobe Owen, Hunter-Max Robinson, Jesse Thorp, Hamish Hunter, Michael Orr, Lewis Shea, Nick Bailey along with staff member Dale Prindable (RISE Strength and Conditioning coach) played in the curtain raiser before the State of Origin at Accor Stadium.

RISE is a program for rugby league players that are aspiring players that want to improve their skills on and off the field.

The boys represented RISE Group 9 North U15s. Players in this team are made up of a number of towns such as  Young, Cootamundra, Temora, Gundagai, Tumut and Hadren/Boorowa and were successful in winning the game 40 - 4.