More than 44 per cent of Bulldogs fans come from backgrounds where English isn't a first language. Credit:Mark Kolbe Sari tells the story to underline why the Bulldogs' "Welcome" signs at Belmore Oval for Monday night's clash with Canberra and all their home matches will be written in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Korean, Hindi and Chinese. Staff will also hand out a "newcomers" brochure with information about the Bulldogs printed in different languages. Canterbury are also the first NRL club to offer a translating service on their website. According to a diversity audit of the club's 13,500 members conducted after the 2014 grand final, English is not the first language of 44 per cent of Bulldogs fans – and it is not just the Lebanese, Greek and Italian communities who have traditionally supported Canterbury. The club is attracting growing numbers of fans of African and Asian heritage and because they are younger it is projected that they will become a significant part the Bulldogs membership base in future years.

Ishmail Kamara and Victor Ashiadey. Credit:Steven Siewert "There is a sense that we know who we are as a club, we know who our supporters are and we now want to bring people into the camp who may have felt excluded," Sari said. "These are only simple things, but it is a sign of respect that we have fans who come from an enormous range of background. They are part of the Bulldogs family and we acknowledge them." Ishmail Kamara and Victor Ashiadey are part of the new wave of Bulldogs fans from African backgrounds. Credit:Steven Siewert The Bulldogs will host a multicultural game in round 23 of the NRL season and have designed a jersey for the occasion featuring the flags of every country.

Canterbury previously held multicultural days in the 1980s, when George Peponis attracted Greek fans to the club, and in the 1990s, when Lebanese supporters began following the Bulldogs because of Hazem El Masri. Now 22-year-old Mbye is helping to attract fans from the emerging African community in the Canterbury-Bankstown area. Bulldogs chief executive Raelene Castle said the scenes on the streets of Belmore before and after the 2014 grand final demonstrated the positive impact the club could have in promoting harmony and tolerance among supporters. "It didn't matter what race, creed, colour, age or gender you were, you were all welcome because you were wearing the blue V," Castle said. "We are in an area which has some challenging social issues, but because of the power of that blue V and the players that we have, the Bulldogs have an ability to bring people together to support one cause and that is a powerful thing."

Social inclusion is one of three main issues the club is now focusing on through its community programs, along with violence prevention and health and wellness. Through a partnership with Brydens Lawyers, the Bulldogs have donated 500 family memberships to newly arrived migrants and other socially disadvantaged families, while the club is also working with Western Sydney University to run a program for refugees promoting assimilation through sport. The club is also targeting local youth through the White Ribbon Schools Program, aimed at reducing domestic violence, and the establishment of a street outreach and drop-in centre at Belmore Oval for teenagers at risk of social isolation, which last month won the Exceptional Community Business Partnership category at the ZEST awards.