Union's 'failure' to nurture indigenous stars

[Burgs]

I imagine this won't sit too well for some in ARU HQ!
Would be interested in opinion from those in WA Clubland as to the merit or otherwise if it applies here?

Union's 'failure' to nurture indigenous stars

PHIL LUTTON, February 10, 2010

AS THE NRL gathers on the Gold Coast to show off its glittering stable of indigenous stars, a leading indigenous rugby figure says a ''very white'' union has failed to embrace and cultivate Aboriginal talent.

Just three of the 118 players on Australian Super 14 rosters are of indigenous heritage. The NRL boasts 11 per cent of its ranks - including some of its biggest stars - as being aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders.

Tom Evans, the chief executive of the ARU-affiliated Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team, says a refusal to broaden the recruitment net outside of private schools means the code has little chance of unearthing future indigenous champions. The former Randwick player and coach also says the huge influence of Polynesian players in the code isn't being reflected in the make-up of the ARU.

''If it wasn't for the Polynesians in Sydney club rugby, there wouldn't be rugby union,'' Evans said. ''But the system is still very white, Anglo-Saxon, teacher-schoolboy.

''I sit with the NSW and Australian Rugby Union community rugby and the whole office is very white Anglo, yet if you have a look at the player roster of all these teams, the Polynesian influence is massive.

''They've done very little to embrace that. They've done very little to embrace indigenous participation in rugby. If it wasn't for our organisation, there wouldn't be any indigenous program.''

Will Chambers (Qld), Kurtley Beale (NSW) and Matt Hodgson (Force) are the indigenous players set to feature in the Super rugby season. Chambers joined the Reds from rugby league's Melbourne Storm, while the QRU says the Faingaa twins, Anthony and Saia, have some indigenous heritage on their mother's side.

Evans, whose organisation is self-funded but operates out of ARU office space and receives logistical support for its tournaments and events, says rugby scouts are failing to identify junior indigenous talent, while the state-based recruitment system can often become bogged down in school-driven politics.

''There's plenty of kids who can play the game at the right level. You can see that in league. Thurston, Inglis is there. Rugby has to get better at identifying those guys when they are 14, 15 and 16 but it's still the private school system. They [the ARU] still haven't embraced the whole of society,'' Evans said. ''But it will happen because they have to look at it.''

An ARU spokesman said the organisation was committed to developing more indigenous talent and had numerous programs and grants in place. ''We would like to be in a position to assist with further funding for all our constituents,'' he said.

To date there have been 11 aboriginal players - Lloyd McDermott, Mark Ella, Glen Ella, Gary Ella, Lloyd Walker, Andrew Walker, Jim Williams, Wendell Sailor, Timana Tahu, Hodgson and Beale - to represent the Wallabies.

[shasta]

Those of us from NSW/Qld won't be very surprised at those facts.

Note the standard disclaimer from the ARU.

''We would like to be in a position to assist with further funding for all our constituents................. You can insert........"but none of us are giving up any of our slice for those bastards."

[Burgs]

But on the local scene?

[TOCC]

in the past it has been like that, however in QLD i think its starting to change a bit, with extra competitions been run outside the private school world, and im pretty sure the QRU even had a junior north qld vs south qld indegenous match last year.

[Action Hardcore]

I fail to see the humour

[Burgs]

With only seven schools in WA that would fit under the "private school" definition of the article, I dare say the situation in WA is far different with nowdays more kids coming through the Govvy schools and Club systems than the PSA.

Although the article is titled about indigenous player development it tries to link the topic to a racial bias against Polynesian's as well.
Is that accurate at all in WA?
Do the Clubs have a fair representation across the Committee's, Coaching Staff etc or, is there baise against them or, is the opportunity there but they just can't be bothered?

[laura]

There's a massive shortfall when it comes to Indigenous Rugby Union players and its quite a contentious issue. Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team is the only organisation of its kind for rugby. David Wirrpanda Foundation, Clontarf Academy etc all exist with a basis for getting young Indigenous kids involved in AFL and they're only just starting to branch out to other sports. Lloydies is a fantastic organisation but doesn't have enough financial (or other) backing to be able to spread its services to WA. The organisation has provided a crop of talented young players but sadly most get lost to league. Getting to the crux of why they leave probably holds some value for retaining players in the future.

WA really needs to get its backside into gear. With an extensive Indigenous population, so many talented individuals and the only competition being AFL, we seriously need to get something started to introduce rugby to these people and communities. There's no denying the Ella brothers were 3 of the most talented rugby players and all with an Indigenous heritage. Hodgo as well! He's a huge talent and if we harness the influence he, and players like the Ella brothers have there is the potential to get so many young kids involved and up through the ranks to representing their state and country.

[TOCC]

With only seven schools in WA that would fit under the "private school" definition of the article, I dare say the situation in WA is far different with nowdays more kids coming through the Govvy schools and Club systems than the PSA.

Although the article is titled about indigenous player development it tries to link the topic to a racial bias against Polynesian's as well.
Is that accurate at all in WA?
Do the Clubs have a fair representation across the Committee's, Coaching Staff etc or, is there baise against them or, is the opportunity there but they just can't be bothered?

well the article is a little hypocritical, if they are looking at the administrative side of the house as well then this is also a area where NRL is lacking. For a competition where nearly half the players half polynesian or indigenous heritage its not reflected at the corporate or administrative level.

How many aboriginal or polynesian coaches or club CEO's are there in the NRL? Off the top of my head i cant think of any, however this is the same in rugby union.

[welshrugbyfan]

To date there have been 11 aboriginal players - Lloyd McDermott, Mark Ella, Glen Ella, Gary Ella, Lloyd Walker, Andrew Walker, Jim Williams, Wendell Sailor, Timana Tahu, Hodgson and Beale - to represent the Wallabies.

Actually Wendell is a Torres Strait Islander.

Although I appreciate the title of this story is "Indigenous" players.

The Ella boys went to Matraville High School which is a public school.

[jazza93]

the ARU are racist.

Seriously though, the majority of Aboriginal Communities will follow the AFL or NRL because you can only watch the super14 on paytv and it only runs for half the time and its only on in the summer months. There is no exposure for the sport so why would they want to play it in the first place. So the article is complete crap blaming whoever they were, i stopped reading it...

Anyway the problem is not really that aboriginals dont get coverage. But the fact that anyone without Foxtel has to go to another venue to watch s14 games. And this means kids will only ever see the wallabies play.

But we have bigger problems to fix before we start worrying about why Greg Inglis didn't choose union.

---------- Post added at 17:44 ---------- Previous post was at 17:41 ----------

With only seven schools in WA that would fit under the "private school" definition of the article, I dare say the situation in WA is far different with nowdays more kids coming through the Govvy schools and Club systems than the PSA.

Although the article is titled about indigenous player development it tries to link the topic to a racial bias against Polynesian's as well.
Is that accurate at all in WA?
Do the Clubs have a fair representation across the Committee's, Coaching Staff etc or, is there baise against them or, is the opportunity there but they just can't be bothered?

There is no real bias in players, but if your Polynesian you are better off. A half decent Polynesian player will usually be considered better than a half decent white player. Don't know why but maybe its an ego thing as well haha.

[James]

Yeah I agree with Jazza.

You usually aren't interested in a sport unless you can identify with it. If there are few aboriginal players the kids can't identify with it and so no young stars will play. The cycle continues. It doesn't look like Kurtley Beale is doing the cause much good with his assault case and the drink driving without a licence he picked up in 2007.

Is it really that big a deal though? Sure it would be great to tap into all the player base you can but I mean if the young aboriginal players are happy playing NRL or AFL its not like the ARU is being racist by not going to a lot of effort to bring them in. The ARU is poor enough at keeping the talented kids it has little own bringing them in from elsewhere.

[Woody]

From across the ditch it would seem to me that Aborigonals are more suited to AFL and NRL (generally). Trying to foster play when they will struggle with the biggest difference between the 3 codes (srumming, mauling, rucking and lineouts) will be difficult.
Of the 11 players named I 'think' 9 were/are backs (Williams and Hodgo). I am assuming Timana Tahu's mother is Australian as Tahu is very Maori.
As far as Polynesian players are concerned many have played in NZ before moving to Aussie or they have played in the Islands or their parents played in the Islands. League is still fairly 2nd rate in the middle of the Pacific. However their body types make them ideal for Rugger or NRL and not (generally) AFL.
Rugby Union has always been an old school tie game. In NZ we adapted a little more quickly due to the number of outstanding Maori and Island players available. Most Unions are still a little stick in the mud and probably wish most of the world was still part of the Empire.

My thoughts only.

Carn the Force this Friday. Hopefully that fine polynesian boy Josh Tatupu sees a goodly part of the game

[beige]

Is it really that big a deal though? Sure it would be great to tap into all the player base you can but I mean if the young aboriginal players are happy playing NRL or AFL its not like the ARU is being racist by not going to a lot of effort to bring them in. The ARU is poor enough at keeping the talented kids it has little own bringing them in from elsewhere.

Depends - if the kids want to play but the pathways aren't there then there is a problem. If the pathways are there and they're not interested then not so much.

[Burgs]

Agreed on that one Beige, but I guess you have to play the numbers.
Apart from some (relatively, talking geographically rather than population base) Union presence in country WA it is a haven for Australian Rules, so your average country kid would see a Union pathway up there with snowsports.
However, (unfortunately) to service such a vast area (ie including the remote communities etc where there is a WAFL presence) it would send RWA broke.

Having grown up in the bush Woody, I can confirm that, on average, you are correct. Generally Aboriginal boys are skinny as rakes, bloody fast and run with all the style of a tumbleweed, I dunno how they can run so fast with very little "style"!

A "big" Aboriginal who kept fit would probably be reflected in Hodgson's physique.
It would be very rare to see an Aboriginal muscle up like Del, Lote or say Cliffy, though I do know a few.

The AFL have such a strong hold on their "modern culture", at least in WA, that I doubt that there would be much ground to make.
It may well be a totally different picture in League land.

[shasta]

if the young aboriginal players are happy playing NRL or AFL it's not like like the ARU is being racist by not going to a lot of effort to bring them in.

By that logic the ARU should not make any effort to get caucasian kids in WA, Vic or anywhere for that matter because they are happy playing AFL, League or Football?