The intricate design calls on his strength and knowledge while celebrating the unity and shared journeys of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The House celebrated the 2025 design with a special uniform presentation event to students, staff and House partners last week.
It was an opportunity to thank and acknowledge featured artist Vinson and valued uniform partners Australian Reinforcing Company - ARC (shirt sponsor) and Wilson Security (shorts sponsor).
A highlight of the night was a cultural dance performance telling the story of 'Tagai' accompanied by live cultural music and singing by Vinson.
About the artist:
I am a Torres Strait Islander Australian. I was born on Thursday Island and grew up in Seisia, in the Northern Peninsula Area. My family is from the eastern side of Saibai Island, where the Sagar wind blows, from underneath the Star E Constellation which can be seen before the morning star.
My art tells the stories from the seven clans of Saibai Island, though I mainly focus on my clan, the crocodile clan, Ait Koedal. Most of the people from Saibai are traditionally head hunters, we are a warrior culture. I use our peoples’ totems when telling our stories, whether in painting, carvings or in dance.
Our culture is passed down verbally through each generation, from our grandfathers, fathers and uncles in song, dance and through artwork. When I was small, I would sit with my father, grandfather and uncles and watch them carving and making apparatuses.
I loved to listen to them tell stories, sing songs and dance. I continue to tell our stories through my art and traditional dance.
About the design:
This painting celebrates the unity and shared journey of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, symbolised by footprints that move forward together across the Kaygusiw Usul (Milky Way). The Dhoeri calls upon the strength of our ancestral warriors, while the Minalay Waku (mat patterns) at the base weaves together cultural knowledge, stories, and songlines passed down through generations.
The central figure, Tagai, is depicted as a provider of magic, a great hunter, and a teacher of seasons, navigation, and growth. His wisdom, passed down over generations, teaches us when to plant, how to hunt, and how to travel. Surrounding him are four totemic animals: the shark symbolising the dry season, the turtle and dugong representing Tagai’s lessons in hunting, and Kaigus, or shovel-nosed shark, representing the Milky Way, through which Tagai travels. The four stars in each corner represent important constellations that guide us at night, while the eight-pointed stars represent Tagai’s sisters and the five-pointed stars honour the Cowboys players, symbolising their strength.
This painting embodies the shared stories, strength, and resilience of our people and reflects pride in sharing our cultural heritage with the world.
The 2025 Cowboys Indigenous range including the House polo will be on sale through the Cowboys Team Shop in the coming weeks.
