When the 2021 NAIDOC Cup kicks off this Friday, June 25, at Kadina High Campus in Goonellabah, it's going to be an exciting day for the whole community.

The annual event will see over 1500 secondary school students from the Lismore City region come together and play games - and all of the participants will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

The Aboriginal campus student teams will participate in a round-robin competition - competing for awards and trophies, including 'Best and Fairest', a playing ball - and the prestigious NAIDOC cup for the overall champion team.

A spokesperson from The Rivers Secondary College said all local residents are invited to come and watch the event - and embrace First Nations’ cultural knowledge and understanding of Country.

"It's about acknowledging Australia's national heritage - and equally respecting the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders - as they do for other cultures and values of all Australians," the spokesperson said.

"This year, the NAIDOC 2021 theme is Heal Country, which calls for us all to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction."

Each year The Rivers Secondary College hosts the NAIDOC Cup, in which affiliated campuses of Lismore High, Kadina High and Richmond River High Aboriginal students are invited to play against each other in the sport of Oztag.

"The students showcase their skill and culture and every person joins in the fun - where all of us are winners, smiling, cheering encouraging each other on Bundjalung Country," the spokesperson said.

The Cup will be held this Friday at Kadina High Campus Goonellabah, from 12.15pm to 2.30pm.