It is time for Rugby to build a unity bridge

Interesting insight there Wayne, my two cents on rugby.. I grew up in the rugby league heartlands in England, playing union, (my PE teacher at state school was Welsh!). Our school played a handful of games a year, when the private schools would give us a game! I played club rugby for 16 years and never witnessed any class prejudiced at any club I played at, conversely I found the league clubs had a real prejudice against anybody that didn't fit the white working class mold (very rarely the players I might add, always the supporters!) What I'm trying to say is that rugby's problems are trans-continental, unfortunately the private school boys still control the game, until the clubs get control it will always remain like this (insular). IMO rugby is the greatest game on earth and the clubs are great social levelers, it's a shame that the RU hierarchy have come through the school system and not the clubs! I agree that free to air rugby here in Australia should help immensely, fortunately the RFU seem to have woken up to the fact they were being shafted by channel 9 and moved to 10, hopefully I won't have to stream crappy internet TV from the UK to watch the Reds next year!

I am an Indigenous Aussie and many years ago when I was a young fella living in Brisbane I actually played Rugby before going to league. The only reason I went to league was a transport issue, dad didn't have a car and we had to rely on getting a lift to training/games etc, and the local junior league club was a short walk down the road so it made sense to switch codes. The point I'm trying to make is I really enjoyed playing junior club Rugby, "back then early 70s" junior Rugby in Brisbane was quite strong, we had carnival days at Ballymore and would get to watch the A graders play in the afternoon after onfield march pasts by several junior teams, it was a good atmosphere, there wasn't any social divides, "not that I was aware of anyway", maybe it had to do with being club Rugby rather than the private v public school syndrome. The initiatives in place now are a step in the right direction, Rugby needs to be readily accessible to all kids not just the privileged. Getting free to air TV coverage for at least one super rugby match a week would also help spread the code beyond it's current support base.

Thanks for that info Kevin. I didn't know about that tournament at the Alice. It's great to hear that there is now a development officer in the territory. The kids from the NT will gain a lot from playing against the boys from NSW, ACT and Qld,many of them are at a very good standard and would be expected to dominate, as they should. If the NT boys can press this lot and eventually match them then they are on there way as I would bet my house on an Indigenous schoolboys team (selected on merit/talent) would beat the official Australian schoolboys team. Based upon what I have seen the ARU must be keeping a lid on this, there are dozens of kids equal to, if not better than Kurtly Beale and the Ella brothers. It seems like the ARU has a policy for there to be only a few talented players to go thru as not to reveal the substandard in footballing talent currently within their Super Rugby. Shock Horror.

All, Interesting discussion - last year (2011) NT Indigenous Schoolboys Rugby in partnership with NTRU and LMRDT provided the opportunity for 60+ young Indigenous School boys to compete in the National Indigenous Under 18's -held in Alice Spring,Under16's - held on the GoLd Coast and for a U14's Development Squad to the Central Coast NSW. The young men all were under the no school no play regime and were required all to have paid a levy ($250.00) if they were in the final squads that travelled The U14's recioeved no assistance from peak organisations and the squad raised $32,000.00 to pay for the trip.Airfares from the NT are the killer ($18,000.00) to sent a squad of 27 to Sydney !!! The young men across the 3 teams came from Communities in alice springs east arnhem , katherine and darwin. Whislt we have a way to go the building of Indigenious Schoolboy rugby here in tye Top End is a nerve racking process -- distance/isolation/airfare's -- ARU needs to have a long hard think about this issue on a long term arrangement. To be fair to them (God Luv them) they have provided some funds for the NTRU in 2012 to employ a Indigenous Schoolboys Rugby Development office -- small steps ,big country is the NT but a start anyway !!! Kevin Bird NT Indigenous Rugby Coordinator

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are Aboriginal kids living away from there families in the private schools, getting a good education and learning rugby. It's not the kids fault about the system, there is some good talent there, go and have a look. There is a lot of work to be done in the NT and hopefully we can see some kids come out of there, but realistically it may take a while. Get down RK and have a look at the Murray and Koori kids in the private school comps, Brisbane and Sydney, outstanding talent, how come these kids are being ignored. I've watched a few games in Brizzy and down in Sydney the GPS comps, some of the Aboriginal kids are as good as anything ive seen. You will find that most of them will play in the Lloyd Mcdermott. I can't believe the physics of some of these kids, they obviously have them in the gyms, we've come a long way from the skinny Aboriginal kids running around and they still have the illusiveness. Australia will dominate for years with these fellas if the politics can get out of the way and let the good of the game come first. Good work RK.

''The idea is for the Australian Rugby Union to facilitate tours up to the Darwin with the agreed purpose of inviting/hosting teams back next year. '' The Brumbies have made a step forward by playing trials in Darwin and visiting comunities up there. I would like to see the contract renewed with the NT Gov't when it expires next year. Darwin had a team in the defunct ARS and they were reasonably competitive. There is a talent base up there to tap in to. I would like to see the Force do the same and play trials in regional areas and do some community work

Good point you've raised, Mr Knees. It has always confounded me how quiet and 'polite' rugby is a out some things. Sure there is a solid middle class in rugby but only the ignorant think that rugby is for white private school 'toffs' . You have repeated several times that your point is about community to community relationships. Commendable idea. Unfortunately though it opens up that can of worms -the divides of race, class and distance that handicap Australia, not only it's rugby 'community'. Ever since the eighties I have wondered where the next Ella would come from. I know i am not alone. Of course the issue is wider than rugby- as is seen in the posts above. But rugby is a good place to start. I have heard that rugby exists outside of Darwin, in Nuhlunbuy at least and i believe that they produced an Oz schoolboy. I am hoping this is true. There should and could be 5 Kurtley's running round in top tier rugby. And the ARU should be creating the pathway and not leaving it to private schools to do the sponsoring. The NRL indigenous all stars is a great concept. Maybe your suggestion is a pathway for the unity this issue is screaming for. Is there a website? There are many junior city clubs , like my sons', that would benefit from the interaction.

that's a sign of the progress that maori culture has made, mania. In Buck Shelford's day, he made it the responsibility of the lead maori to perform the haka to an acdeptable standard (and correct if I'm wrong but was only the Ab captain or a maori member of the AB allowed to lad the haka?). These days, EVERYONE ( Maori, pakeka, samoan, tongan, fijian or whoever) must perform the haka to that extacting standard. And it works: in countries where you wouldn't expect it (ie Spain, USA) the haka has become identified with NZ. In their eyess, to see the haka on a rugby ground is to see a NZ team perform it! What the ARU needs to do is adopt a similar thing (we saw it during the Aboriginal-Maori game during the RLWC).

You forgot Matthew Hodgson from the Western Force (Avoca Beach Junior) - but I think Mr Evans was referring to the indigenous brothers (and sisters) that play rugby - not just the national ones. Yes, the majority on the eastern seaboard follow and participate in League, whilst those down south and over the west are AFL people. I don't think you understand what RK is on about - engagement and building a culture from rugby that shows acceptance. The attitude of some here that rugby in Australia is just a "private" school culture is absurd - I played CHS and back then, in the 80s, it was all public school rugby thorughout Sydney. How do you think the Ella's played - they went to Matraville High School - and they played along white fellas too - did that at Randwick as well!

Fair bit of work to go Mania, but an interesting video from the IRB on the Australian Indigenous u16 team http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TirpWHi0iCQ

RK, yes I like your community engagement idea.

Ahhhh yes, the Ella bros, always legends as was Rodger Gould putting up Up and Unders (Bombs), these were the days before SA were playing amongst us. Good memories but don't bring political crap into the fold. What the hell has Darwin done with rugby compared to league, least of all excuses? I'm a Pakeha, but I'd be the least to blame Campese for playing rugby especially when moneys involved according to union V professionalism. Absolutely nothing to do with Sport.

A thing that may be difficult is the strong drinking culture rugby has.. This could lead to difficulties for places such as the NT. I personally haven't been there, but I can understand how it would be hard to entice ppl to a sport that loves to play hard and have drinks afterwards.. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.

Rickety what about the point about, AFL and rugby league. They have helped rugby league a lot in my opinion, i could ramble a list of players in both codes that AFL and rugby league , where indigenous Australians have made the top level. Wendall sailor (who mind you played rugby too for the wallabies), Inglis, sam thaiday, thurston, micheal long, and chris sandow.