Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan accepts RA must do more to unearth the next Indigenous Wallaby to follow in the famous footsteps of the Ella brothers and others like Kurtley Beale and Andrew Walker.
RA on Wednesday unveiled the 2020 First Nations jersey to be worn against New Zealand and Argentina in two games of the Tri Nations tournament starting next week.
Designed by Sydney artist Dennis Golding, the jersey pays tribute to each of the 14 Indigenous Australians who have played Test rugby.
Ironically – and alarmingly – the Wallabies side wearing the jumper to face the All Blacks in Sydney on October 31 won’t feature a single Indigenous player following Beale’s move to France.
“I think it shows that we’ve got to open more player pathways for Indigenous rugby players,” McLennan said when asked what it meant that the Wallabies were showcasing the jersey without Indigenous representation.
“But what it also says is that we’re very committed to an inclusive culture.
“We’re very proud of our Aboriginal and Indigenous heritage, and we’re going to promote it proudly.”
Gary Ella said rugby union trailed rugby league in the Indigenous ranks because it only turned professional in 1996.
“In the beginning, league was really dominant and if you have a look at the states outside of NSW and Queensland, AFL had a real strong base for a very long time,” Ella said.
“We’re gradually introducing the game to more Aboriginal communities around Australia (with the) Big Time (development program) getting players to be associated with sevens teams.
Harry Wilson models the Wallabies Indigenous jersey. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
“But it’s also now we’re having a lot more players playing club rugby.
“We’ve had good success recently and having a lot more people going into Super, and there are now Aboriginal communities seeing that opportunity where they can play professional – and they’re looking for that opportunity.”
Fullback Dane Haylett-Petty said he hoped the Wallabies wearing the First Nations jersey would inspire a whole new generation of Indigenous youngsters to play rugby.
Haylett-Petty also wouldn’t rule out the Wallabies considering “taking a knee” in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign.
If they did, the Wallabies would be the first national sporting team from this country to do so.
“Sport has a lot of opportunity to join conversations and have a say and a lot of sports have done that,” he said.
“I can’t speak for everyone but it would be a great show of support. I think that would be a discussion to have as a group and we’d definitely consider it.”
piru
Roar Rookie
You really need to read the opinions of the people I mention, before you dismiss them, they are people who have dedicated their entire lives to indigenous welfare and who have some very interesting alternative views. I didn't dismiss anyone, I said you'll never get everyone to agree If that's incorrect please explain how
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
You really need to read the opinions of the people I mention, before you dismiss them, they are people who have dedicated their entire lives to indigenous welfare and who have some very interesting alternative views.
piru
Roar Rookie
Was it Turnbull? Didn't think it was that long ago, stand corrected. You're never going to get everyone to agree on anything, but it was a significant step in getting some kind of concerted voice. The way it was all pretty much just thrown in the bin was incredibly disheartening
piru
Roar Rookie
What an awful expression First Nation is! To start with the tribal Aboriginals were not a nation. Why not call them Indigenous? Knock yourself out mate!
piru
Roar Rookie
Piru, there is no systemic racism in Australia. Only Maoris hating the pakeha and Moriori. You've been corrected several times on your false Moriori narrative. If you're going to keep knowingly repeat falsehoods, how can anyone take you seriously?
piru
Roar Rookie
I think being the fifth best open-side probably had something to do with it Piru but never let the truth get in the way of a good yarn . Pocock, Hooper, McMahon, Gill. No contest there Hooper never once bested Hodgson head to head - go back and check, and Pocock wasn't around for big chunks of Hodgos career, and when he was he played 8. Hodgo should have played more tests than he did
Neil
Roar Rookie
What an awful expression First Nation is! To start with the tribal Aboriginals were not a nation. Why not call them Indigenous?
Muglair
Roar Rookie
There are legal issues here to Sheek. You can't stop an islander from earning the income they can by declaring their loyalty to Australia. Just like many who come here for employment and send money home. We need involvement in a SR comp where a World Rugby contribution, Island Union contribution, commercial return and maybe AU/NZ top up supports Island Union contracts. I believe we should be doing it now. We need to grow the game and we therefore need to adopt what is now called a "growth mindset". Very trendy but that is how it always was; narrow minded and insular thinking has always yielded small results.
Jake Tafau
Roar Rookie
There is no way anyone from Rugby is going into a mission, even to sign the second coming of Ella. They barely go into a public school.
sheek
Roar Guru
Muglair, I can agree with most, if not all that. My problem is not the Aussies of Islander heritage born here, or came here at an early age, say up to mid-teens, eg, TPN (Wallabies) or Petero Civoneciva (Kangaroos). These guys talk like your typical Aussie, think like an Aussie, & are proud to be an Aussie. My problem is the guys who parachute into the country in their late teens & early 20s, with a specific aim to grab a gold jersey. There are wonderful stories of Islanders earning enough money to help an entire village. Marika Koroibeti is obviously grateful for the opportunity Australian rugby has given him. But at heart, in his deep heart of hearts, he is still a Fijian. In an equal world of equal opportunity, he would pull on the white jersey of Fiji in a flash. That’s where his heart is. That’s fantastic, but the a national jersey, any country’s national jersey, is not a charity. Nor should it be seen as such. This happens too often across too many sports. In 2000, recently minted & recruited Aussie, Russian born pole vaulter Tatiana Grigorieva, won a silver medal. The media loved Tatiana. She was tall, blond, athletic & super attractive. But at the time she wasn’t a real Aussie. At least she’s made her home since in Australia, & we can now call her ‘true blue’, but she wasn’t ‘true blue’ in 2000. The problem, as I keep harping, is World Rugby (IRB). We need to have a World Championship to provide a level playing field, an even test playing roster for all the leading countries. This way, Fijian, Samoan & Tongan players won’t feel the need to desert their home islands & seek fortune, & a second best choice, with some other country. Is this concept too difficult for some Roarers, looking for other reasons to denigrate me, to accept? I guess it is…
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Ozinsa True, but Beale was never in the class of the Ellas or Walker imo. And with his poor displinary record he was wasn’t a good role model either. RA is saying we need more Beales ….. well I’m hoping we get many more Aboriginal rugby players much better than Beale :silly:
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Piru Yes, plus Pocock and Gill but I still thought Hodgy was unlucky not to have played more Tests :thumbup:
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
Hey Fenwick PeterK has already called me stupid and foolish on at least 3 previous occasions so I make no apologies for guessing that he's likely to be a white middle man from Queensland. Godwins Law huh - a convenient cop-out that is....... and same can be said about people who are dismissed as greenies, commo's, pinkos etc etc. Returning to facts - if it looks like rat and smells like a rat, it's probably a rat. Take a look at some gratuitous propaganda :) https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=364193228030348
Muglair
Roar Rookie
It really does not matter how many players of island heritage are contracted to Australian rugby. They are already here and have either come through the system, or came here to play. I believe Australian Rugby owes the islands a significant debt. They came here and brought their athleticism and joy of rugby when others didn't. Many of the games I attended in the early 70s involved them and many in the crowd were far more excited by their play than the more pedestrian Australian teams. RA should also be making a priority to give the islands a hand up. Hard when you have no dough but it should always be on our radar. I was pleased to hear that Hamish has stated that this is an important objective of his. Although off the record I have let him rise up a bit in my estimation. There could be some criticism that we should be looking to our own first but we need to do both. The failure to do both is mainly a result of inward looking and self serving strategy. To twist Kearns' words "Look after rugby and it will look after you".
Muglair
Roar Rookie
I am not being condescending, I am offended that a group is singled out, thrust under the spotlight, and expected to perform a simple act in support of unarticulated and ambiguous messages. Yes, the information is out there, but for example, I suspect few have bothered to read this report. 185 pages probably deters a few. Once you have read the report you can draw your own conclusions on who is being manipulated and why there has been no progress on acting on the Uluru Statement.
BennO
Roar Rookie
Interesting point (though I didn't read the link, sorry long day), but I think it's a bit condescending to assume the players are being manipulated. They have access to all the same info as anyone and can do their own reading. They are adults after all, even if they do live in a metaphorical (and this year a literal) bubble.
Hopeless Knights
Roar Rookie
Love the jersey and idea of attracting more of our First Nations People’s. Imagine the Wallabies finding the next Greg Inglis or Jonathan Thurston... Matty Bowen or Steve Renouf
Skip
Piru, there is no systemic racism in Australia. Only Maoris hating the pakeha and Moriori.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
I am not across the US technicalities but I think it is sort of similar to here. You can be just an NFP and receive a whole lot of concessions but by being a charity donations are tax deductible. BLM is a NFP but not a "charity" so donations are not tax deductible. By channeling them through the Blue platform they become tax deductible to the donor. Whatever the receiving organisation is, it is committed to pass on all of those funds to another organisation which then funds BLM. All out there is the full light of day, they must get very confused reading about ICAC and Australia Post. Only in America, the land of the corrupt politician :crying:
Muglair
Roar Rookie
I think I mainly object to the cynical manipulation of the players. There is a much bigger unseen agenda here and I very much doubt if many Australians really have taken much time to do their own research or checked the many "facts" bandied around. Expecting young professional footballers to be totally across these issue, have well thought out personal positions which are shared by the whole squad is just ridiculous thinking. https://www.referendumcouncil.org.au/sites/default/files/report_attachments/Referendum_Council_Final_Report.pdf