Perfect Italiano™ backs junior rugby in Melbourne’s west
For one junior rugby club in Melbourne’s west, the love of the game and a strong family culture brings the community together each week.
Fonterra Oceania and Powerhouse Junior Rugby Club in Newport have joined forces under Fonterra’s Perfect Italiano™ brand for the 2025 season, supporting junior sport and connecting over good food and nutrition.
Perfect Italiano™ is proud to sponsor the club’s canteen, helping to cover the costs of four team dinners throughout the season. These dinners give players and their families a chance to sit down and enjoy a warm, home-style meal – cooked by volunteers at the club – after each week’s training.
“The Powerhouse Junior Rugby Club take on more than just teaching children how to play a game,” Fonterra Oceania Marketing Manager – Perfect Italiano™, Claire Robertson said.
“What stood out to us was the club’s strong family values. As a brand that’s all about bringing people together over home-cooked, good food, our partnership with Powerhouse allows us to provide both dairy nutrition and a sense of connection.”
As part of the canteen sponsorship, Perfect Italiano™ also donated cheese products for families to take home and enjoy in their own cooking.
“Whether it’s a warm serving of dinner, or cheese to take home, it’s been great to help in more ways than one,” Claire added.
"Fonterra’s support has been invaluable this season. Their contributions towards our team dinners and additional donations of cheese have ensured we can continue to offer hearty and nutritious meals each week – it’s something everyone looks forward to."
Respect, discipline, teamwork and community spirit
Powerhouse Junior Rugby Club President Majella Sommers said that for many families, the weekly meals offer a night off from cooking and help to keep household food costs down. It’s also a chance to be part of something bigger.
“The children are given responsibilities by helping with dinner, including setting tables, serving food, and washing their dishes once they’re done.
“It’s all part of the club’s strong family culture, which reflects the values of the game itself, that being respect, discipline, teamwork and community spirit,” Majella said.
“Fonterra’s support has been invaluable this season. Their contributions towards our team dinners and additional donations of cheese have ensured we can continue to offer hearty and nutritious meals each week – it’s something everyone looks forward to,” she added.
Doing Good Together in Melbourne
Fonterra has three processing facilities in Melbourne’s west, two in Tullamarine and one in Campbellfield. These secondary processing sites cut, slice, grate and package cheese into consumer pack formats, including the Perfect Italiano brand.
“With a footprint in Melbourne’s west, where many of our employees call home, we felt this was the perfect opportunity to give back to the metropolitan communities where we operate,” Claire said.
In the spirit of giving back, Fonterra representatives from the Tullamarine and Campbellfield sites, Perfect Italiano™ and Community teams, recently attended a training and team dinner to lend a helping hand.
The team helped to serve dinner for the under 10, under 12 and under 16 teams, and saw firsthand how their family-focused approach comes to life each week.
“From the moment we stepped onto the grounds, we saw passionate parents, coaches and mentors involved. There was a sense everyone was willing to lend a hand, and we saw that on the field, in the kitchen, and club room,” Fonterra Oceania Community and Social Impact Manager Amavi Mey said.
“We left with a feeling of warmth and that we’d been part of something special.
“That’s exactly why we invest in keeping our communities strong; to ensure there are avenues for growth and development, and to help clubs like Powerhouse continue to provide opportunities and an environment where children and young people can thrive,” Amavi said.
Know of a community group or initiative in need of support?
In Australia, Fonterra focusses its community support around three goals. This is where it believes it can have the greatest impact:
- Putting quality nutrition in the hands of those who need it the most.
- Protecting and regenerating the environment.
- Helping keep rural communities resilient and thriving.
If you know of a community group or initiative in need of support, please get in contact at inourcommunityaustralia@fonterra.com. Together, we can continue to strengthen our communities and make a difference.