The first role for Manildra’s Jamahl Wright will be to accompany Cabonne’s Australia Day Ambassador, actor Henri Szeps, and Mayor Bob Dowling to Australia Day celebrations in three villages.

The official Australia Day party will participate in ceremonies in Cudal, Manildra and Yeoval on 26 January 2012.

Cr Dowling said he was delighted that the Council had chosen Jamahl as its Youth Ambassador this year.

“Jamahl is well known as an exceptional rugby league player, but he is an impressive young man with a list of scholastic achievements and a fine artistic talent,” Cr Dowling said.

“I know all Councillors were impressed by Jamahl when he received a Cabonne Youth of the Month award last year.”

The Molong Central School student was selected in the NSW Under 16 years Indigenous team to tour Queensland, picked to attend the NSW Rugby League Academy, represented Group 10 rugby league and played in a number of schoolboy representative teams.

However, Jamahl’s talents are not restricted to the football field, with the teenager playing cricket for Molong and competitive golf, bowls and tennis all year round.

His scholastic achievements include first in class for physical education, excellent overall mark in technology (wood), consistent effort in technology (wood and metal) and the improvement award in English.