Family, heritage and leadership: Damon Koolstra’s pride in captaining the Netherlands
Netherlands Lions captain and NRLB Board Member Damon Koolstra has shared the family connection behind his international rugby league journey — and his ambition to help build the game for the next generation.
Born in Melbourne, Koolstra spent time living in the Netherlands with his Opa when he was four, before eventually settling in Mackay, Queensland.
He began playing rugby league at eight, developing a love for the sport that would lead him through representative football, senior premierships and the Queensland Cup.
After making his Mackay A Grade debut at a young age, Koolstra won two premierships early in his senior career and earned a contract with the Mackay Cutters. He later moved to Brisbane to play for the Easts Tigers before returning to Mackay, where he went on to play more than a decade of A Grade rugby league.
But representing the Netherlands brought a different kind of pride.
His Dutch heritage comes through his mother’s father, Sijtse Koolstra. His Opa now lives in Melbourne and is a passionate Melbourne Storm supporter, with rugby league providing a lasting bond between them.
“The day I got to tell him I had been selected to play for the Netherlands Lions was one of the proudest moments of my life,” Koolstra said.
“The only thing that probably topped it was getting to tell him later that I had been named captain.”
For Koolstra, wearing Netherlands orange brings together his family history and the sport that has shaped much of his life.
“For me, representing the Netherlands has never just been another football achievement. It connects my family, where I came from and the game that has been part of most of my life.”
That commitment extends beyond his role as captain. As a Board Member of the Nederlandse Rugby League Bond, Koolstra also contributes to the development of the sport in the Netherlands.
He credits rugby league with teaching him leadership, resilience, accountability and the importance of working for those beside him, while providing some of his closest friendships.
Now a father himself, helping create opportunities for future generations carries even greater meaning.
“I want them to be able to look back one day and know that their dad represented his family’s heritage, captained his country and helped build the game for the next generation,” he said.
“That is something I’m genuinely proud of, and being able to give something back to the game that has given me so much is a life goal for me.”
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