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An Indigenous Australian team should be considered for Western Sydney

AG new author
Roar Rookie
15th October, 2018
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AG new author
Roar Rookie
15th October, 2018
67
1766 Reads

Fielding an indigenous Australian team based in western Sydney would be an exemplary consideration for World Series rugby.

In light of current affairs and recent developments regarding the future viability of the competition and Paul Cully’s recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, there are valid reasons as to why an Indigenous team makes sense and how the competition could work.

Whilst Australian rugby has been on the nose for most, and internal divisions have seen the games reputation degraded, entering an Indigenous team would go a way to bridge the gap between a fledgling competition and all stakeholders of Australian rugby.

Western Sydney is a great melting pot of many cultures who love and will soon see Parramatta as the second biggest CBD in Australia.

In light of this unprecedented suburban growth, little do many Australians know that the highest concentration of Aboriginal people are located in Western Sydney. Few are aware that for 60,000 years Parramatta (a word which means home of the many eels) has been a sacred place for the Darug people.

Parramatta is also building a new stadium which will host the Eels in the NRL and the Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League, you couldn’t ask for a better venue to also call home to an All Indigenous Australian Rugby Union team.

This would be a highly successful initiative for Corporate Australia to get on board and for funds to be distributed to grassroots. Companies and brands are increasingly looking to be associated with ethical products and initiatives that help increase participation in the employment for Aboriginal people.

wallabies indigenous jersey haka

The Wallabies Indigenous jersey was a hit. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

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The Australian Rugby Union have some great initiatives that they sponsor such as the Lloyd McDermott programme and have had a storied history of indigenous talent that have contributed to the green and gold.

Whilst some of the ARU’s initiatives are not as grand as its counterparts in the NRL and AFL, it has some amazing volunteers who contribute to the game and deserve their share of recognition for their contributions to the sport and community.

Sponsorships for an indigenous team would provide an avenue for funds to be allocated to local communities that have otherwise been neglected and provide a platform for young Koori kids to express themselves on the sporting field.

World Series Rugby needs a compelling reason to get off the ground and in time for the global rugby calendar in 2021.

What a better reason to establish a competition that celebrates culture and diversity? An Indigenous team would be a compelling reason for all sports fans to get behind. Whether you love AFL, rugby league or football, it would be a great reason to bring people together.

It would also be a step in the right direction to break the mould of rugby union being perceived as an elitist game played only in private schools. An Indigenous team would provide such reason for people to get on board and raise awareness for the competition.

For WSR to ascertain creditability and deserved recognition why not also include teams such as the Fiji, Tonga, Samao and a Maori All Blacks side?

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Not to mention teams based Asia such as Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore let alone the Western Force. For it to be a truly successful competition which is recognised throughout the world – why not also have it co-exist and integrated into Super Rugby when negotiating the next broadcasting rights?

You could have a promotion and relegation system similar to European football leagues and get riddance of the polarising conference system which we have now.

Kyle Turner, Wade Graham and Ryan James of Indigenous All Stars line up during the 2017 All Stars match.

Rugby league has already embraced an Indigenous team. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

Sport is the fabric of Australian culture. It’s built in our DNA and intertwined in our history.

Throughout this time people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander decent such as Mark Ella, Kurtley Beale and Wendell Sailor have greatly contributed to our success on the world stage.

Rugby in Australia can take note that if history has taught us anything, it is that sport is the ultimate tool in bringing people together and mending hold wounds.

An Indigenous team would be a great initiative for all stakeholders and communities to band together and provide a platform that inspire Indigenous Australians and provide a compelling reason to bring a feel good factor to Western Sydney and Australian Rugby.

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