Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union
0:00:20.999,0:00:27.999
I Love the game, it's fast
a lot of different skills
0:00:42.469,0:00:48.339
The body is involved and (it promotes)
organisation skills on and off the field.
0:00:48.339,0:00:48.820
I love it.
0:00:48.820,0:00:52.460
I grew up playing basketball
0:00:52.460,0:00:57.329
rugby is the best game
0:00:57.329,0:01:04.329
I'm a tragic to quote a past prime minister
I'm a rugby tragic and with these guys
0:01:06.649,0:01:08.850
it re-energises me. I really enjoy it.
0:01:08.850,0:01:13.930
I'm an ex-rugby player and I have
played rugby all my life.
0:01:13.930,0:01:17.149
I've been playing with deaf rugby players
for a long time.
0:01:17.149,0:01:24.149
I wanted to play together with the other
deaf rugby players and that's why we formed
0:01:25.520,0:01:28.770
Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union.
0:01:28.770,0:01:35.770
I started up Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union
because there are not many opportunities for
0:01:35.780,0:01:42.340
deaf people in the community for deaf rugby.
I started it up myself. I'm very proud and
0:01:42.340,0:01:44.650
excited.
I contacted all the players and they came
0:01:44.650,0:01:51.650
together
to form the team
0:01:55.350,0:01:57.490
Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Team was formed
in
0:01:57.490,0:02:04.490
late 2007/2008 for the purpose of giving
a game to deaf rugby players
0:02:06.140,0:02:13.140
I started five years ago. I got involved
in rugby union with the local club,
0:02:14.819,0:02:21.819
Southern Cross University five years ago
and I enjoy the game.
0:02:22.140,0:02:26.250
Originally I was involved with the
Australian deaf rugby union and the
0:02:26.250,0:02:28.040
decision was made within the deaf community
to
0:02:28.040,0:02:33.670
start up a lower level of rugby; a more
community based rugby rather than
0:02:33.670,0:02:37.840
representative rugby. As I was involved
earlier on with the Australian deaf rugby
0:02:37.840,0:02:44.840
union it was a natural thing to support
it at this level as well.
0:02:51.819,0:02:58.040
It's important to get involved in a club
for experience (whether it is) with a hearing
0:02:58.040,0:03:05.040
club or the deaf club.
It's very important to open your eyes. A lot
0:03:07.129,0:03:11.610
of hearing people tend to put deaf people
to the side and don't give them the opportunity.
0:03:11.610,0:03:15.239
It is very important for them (deaf people)
to get
0:03:15.239,0:03:18.129
involved in the hearing club and in the deaf
community.
0:03:18.129,0:03:24.980
It's good to develop their skills and bring
them up to the same as the hearing level.
0:03:24.980,0:03:29.050
It give them a chance to participate. A lot
of times athletes in their own community
0:03:29.050,0:03:33.920
either because of communication or distance
or a combination of all these things, don't
0:03:33.920,0:03:38.760
feel motivated. In fact they feel almost
disenfranchised because there are communication
0:03:38.760,0:03:42.989
problems. Deaf rugby gives them a chance to
come
0:03:42.989,0:03:45.690
together as a community and it caters for
everybody.
0:03:45.690,0:03:52.690
I can give you a prime example yesterday when
I visited St Dominic's School. I had been
0:03:52.690,0:03:57.379
in contact
via email with a lady named Francis, who runs
0:03:57.379,0:04:00.560
the
deaf unit and she said you're not going to
0:04:00.560,0:04:02.970
believe
it but the kids are screaming for you.
0:04:02.970,0:04:08.690
They are waiting for you inside and outside.
I said
0:04:08.690,0:04:12.599
OK so when I went outside it just blew me
away.
0:04:12.599,0:04:15.260
All these kids were looking at us. They had
hearing
0:04:15.260,0:04:19.620
aids, cocklears, they ranged from five to
15 years
0:04:19.620,0:04:24.539
and they were rapt to see us. That gives me
pride
0:04:24.539,0:04:31.060
and a sense of achievement seeing them wanting
to
0:04:31.060,0:04:37.669
know more about us and learn about us. Eventually
one day when I see one of them grow up (playing
0:04:37.669,0:04:40.770
rugby)
it would be great. The players were overwhelmed.
0:04:40.770,0:04:47.250
The just couldn't believe it.
We were talking about, looking at the different
0:04:47.250,0:04:54.050
kids,
which ones would grow up to become really
0:04:54.050,0:05:00.100
good players.
We were talking about their future.
0:05:00.100,0:05:07.100
Deaf poeple are not great at organising rugby
on
0:05:08.690,0:05:13.570
and off the field.
Administration wise and coaching wise they
0:05:13.570,0:05:19.840
need help.
I'm a ex-deaf rugby player and I'm a deaf
0:05:19.840,0:05:22.060
coach but
that doesn't mean that I'm completely deaf.
0:05:22.060,0:05:26.860
I live in-between two worlds. I live between
the hearing
0:05:26.860,0:05:30.910
world and the deaf world and I want to help
them out
0:05:30.910,0:05:32.880
where I can.
0:05:32.880,0:05:38.960
I have a lot of different challenges with
a lot of clubs
0:05:38.960,0:05:45.960
in Lismore where I live at the university.
I play with the local club and have very challenging
0:05:50.180,0:05:53.380
games with other local clubs in the competition.
0:05:53.380,0:06:00.340
Personally it's refreshing my signing communication
skills because they are very rusty. It's the
0:06:00.340,0:06:02.570
same
as any team. Dealing with different characters,
0:06:02.570,0:06:09.570
likes and dislikes, personal traits, distance,
communication, it's the same as any club.
0:06:10.410,0:06:12.509
The only
difference with this club is that some of
0:06:12.509,0:06:13.949
the guys
have a little bit of trouble hearing me.
0:06:13.949,0:06:17.210
With the hearing clubs they (deaf players)
are not
0:06:17.210,0:06:24.210
given the proper opportunity to explain and
express
0:06:24.580,0:06:27.610
themselves. They feel that they are not in
the loop
0:06:27.610,0:06:32.240
about what is happening on and off the field.
0:06:32.240,0:06:35.729
Hearing clubs tend to put them out on the
wing
0:06:35.729,0:06:42.460
because they can't speak and they can't communicate.
I would say that about 75% of these players
0:06:42.460,0:06:47.720
are good
players and the other 25% we can help but
0:06:47.720,0:06:54.150
they need
help from the hearing club also to improve
0:06:54.150,0:06:56.539
their
self-esteem.
0:06:56.539,0:07:03.539
Always start by giving the coach an understanding
of
0:07:05.229,0:07:12.229
how to communicate with the deaf players.
Let the coach know that you didn't understand
0:07:17.090,0:07:19.680
or
that the players don't understand hearing
0:07:19.680,0:07:23.660
coaches.
A lot of players tend to go "yep, yep, yep"
0:07:23.660,0:07:25.470
without
understanding anything at all.
0:07:25.470,0:07:31.520
Maybe write down on a piece of paper a note
and stop
0:07:31.520,0:07:38.520
during the session to generate understanding.
0:07:39.039,0:07:42.560
In the larger cities there are particularly
strond deaf
0:07:42.560,0:07:46.680
communities. For example in a lot of the towns
there
0:07:46.680,0:07:50.000
are deaf clubs. The can contact them put posters
on the
0:07:50.000,0:07:57.000
board, put electronic posters on their websites,
contact
0:07:58.150,0:08:05.120
local schools who have class for deaf or hearing
impaired
0:08:05.120,0:08:07.729
students.
There are a lot of ways of getting within
0:08:07.729,0:08:14.729
the avenue of
communication with these groups.
0:08:15.720,0:08:22.720
Basic communication skills. Body language
mime, using
0:08:24.120,0:08:28.020
interpreters, pulling poeple aside as you
do in a normal
0:08:28.020,0:08:32.620
club. communicating one on one. Being perhaps
a bit more
0:08:32.620,0:08:35.240
graphic with my arms and body language than
normal.
0:08:35.240,0:08:40.949
Spend some time with them before during and
after training.
0:08:40.949,0:08:45.250
If the deaf player is prepared to give commitment
spend
0:08:45.250,0:08:49.579
some time with them. Work out how to communicate
with them.
0:08:49.579,0:08:53.980
Really tolerance and open mindedness. Then
as you get to
0:08:53.980,0:08:58.990
know individual players you can modify your
techniques.
0:08:58.990,0:09:03.230
For example, I had a player who was totally
deaf in one ear
0:09:03.230,0:09:06.800
so it was useless me talking to that ear so
I just took
0:09:06.800,0:09:09.330
two steps to another direction and he was
included.
0:09:09.330,0:09:12.870
Again it's just knowing your players and their
individual
0:09:12.870,0:09:19.870
traits.
0:09:21.580,0:09:26.839
I'm very happy for them to get involved. To
learn different
0:09:26.839,0:09:31.850
development skills. I can't see why we can't
learn
0:09:31.850,0:09:35.620
from the hearing people. We can improve our
own skill level
0:09:35.620,0:09:42.620
and try to build up to their level. I believe
that the future
0:09:43.680,0:09:49.510
it really good. You never know we might have
more than one or
0:09:49.510,0:09:51.010
two teams in the future.
0:09:51.010,0:09:55.380
I'm involved as an assistant coach to Burraneer
Bay Rugby
0:09:55.380,0:10:02.180
Union Under 16's. That's a hearing club not
a deaf team.
0:10:02.180,0:10:06.839
I'm learning experience from a coach there.
I've achieved
0:10:06.839,0:10:13.839
Foundation and am now working on my exam fro
level one.
0:10:16.250,0:10:20.730
My ambition is to grow and make deaf rugby
bigger than
0:10:20.730,0:10:25.240
it is today. I want to keep in contact with
the deaf community.
0:10:25.240,0:10:30.310
Get involved and have life experiences in
different areas.
0:10:30.310,0:10:34.149
That's my ambition - to be successful and
have good
0:10:34.149,0:10:34.480
experiences.
I Love the game, it's fast
a lot of different skills
0:00:42.469,0:00:48.339
The body is involved and (it promotes)
organisation skills on and off the field.
0:00:48.339,0:00:48.820
I love it.
0:00:48.820,0:00:52.460
I grew up playing basketball
0:00:52.460,0:00:57.329
rugby is the best game
0:00:57.329,0:01:04.329
I'm a tragic to quote a past prime minister
I'm a rugby tragic and with these guys
0:01:06.649,0:01:08.850
it re-energises me. I really enjoy it.
0:01:08.850,0:01:13.930
I'm an ex-rugby player and I have
played rugby all my life.
0:01:13.930,0:01:17.149
I've been playing with deaf rugby players
for a long time.
0:01:17.149,0:01:24.149
I wanted to play together with the other
deaf rugby players and that's why we formed
0:01:25.520,0:01:28.770
Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union.
0:01:28.770,0:01:35.770
I started up Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union
because there are not many opportunities for
0:01:35.780,0:01:42.340
deaf people in the community for deaf rugby.
I started it up myself. I'm very proud and
0:01:42.340,0:01:44.650
excited.
I contacted all the players and they came
0:01:44.650,0:01:51.650
together
to form the team
0:01:55.350,0:01:57.490
Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Team was formed
in
0:01:57.490,0:02:04.490
late 2007/2008 for the purpose of giving
a game to deaf rugby players
0:02:06.140,0:02:13.140
I started five years ago. I got involved
in rugby union with the local club,
0:02:14.819,0:02:21.819
Southern Cross University five years ago
and I enjoy the game.
0:02:22.140,0:02:26.250
Originally I was involved with the
Australian deaf rugby union and the
0:02:26.250,0:02:28.040
decision was made within the deaf community
to
0:02:28.040,0:02:33.670
start up a lower level of rugby; a more
community based rugby rather than
0:02:33.670,0:02:37.840
representative rugby. As I was involved
earlier on with the Australian deaf rugby
0:02:37.840,0:02:44.840
union it was a natural thing to support
it at this level as well.
0:02:51.819,0:02:58.040
It's important to get involved in a club
for experience (whether it is) with a hearing
0:02:58.040,0:03:05.040
club or the deaf club.
It's very important to open your eyes. A lot
0:03:07.129,0:03:11.610
of hearing people tend to put deaf people
to the side and don't give them the opportunity.
0:03:11.610,0:03:15.239
It is very important for them (deaf people)
to get
0:03:15.239,0:03:18.129
involved in the hearing club and in the deaf
community.
0:03:18.129,0:03:24.980
It's good to develop their skills and bring
them up to the same as the hearing level.
0:03:24.980,0:03:29.050
It give them a chance to participate. A lot
of times athletes in their own community
0:03:29.050,0:03:33.920
either because of communication or distance
or a combination of all these things, don't
0:03:33.920,0:03:38.760
feel motivated. In fact they feel almost
disenfranchised because there are communication
0:03:38.760,0:03:42.989
problems. Deaf rugby gives them a chance to
come
0:03:42.989,0:03:45.690
together as a community and it caters for
everybody.
0:03:45.690,0:03:52.690
I can give you a prime example yesterday when
I visited St Dominic's School. I had been
0:03:52.690,0:03:57.379
in contact
via email with a lady named Francis, who runs
0:03:57.379,0:04:00.560
the
deaf unit and she said you're not going to
0:04:00.560,0:04:02.970
believe
it but the kids are screaming for you.
0:04:02.970,0:04:08.690
They are waiting for you inside and outside.
I said
0:04:08.690,0:04:12.599
OK so when I went outside it just blew me
away.
0:04:12.599,0:04:15.260
All these kids were looking at us. They had
hearing
0:04:15.260,0:04:19.620
aids, cocklears, they ranged from five to
15 years
0:04:19.620,0:04:24.539
and they were rapt to see us. That gives me
pride
0:04:24.539,0:04:31.060
and a sense of achievement seeing them wanting
to
0:04:31.060,0:04:37.669
know more about us and learn about us. Eventually
one day when I see one of them grow up (playing
0:04:37.669,0:04:40.770
rugby)
it would be great. The players were overwhelmed.
0:04:40.770,0:04:47.250
The just couldn't believe it.
We were talking about, looking at the different
0:04:47.250,0:04:54.050
kids,
which ones would grow up to become really
0:04:54.050,0:05:00.100
good players.
We were talking about their future.
0:05:00.100,0:05:07.100
Deaf poeple are not great at organising rugby
on
0:05:08.690,0:05:13.570
and off the field.
Administration wise and coaching wise they
0:05:13.570,0:05:19.840
need help.
I'm a ex-deaf rugby player and I'm a deaf
0:05:19.840,0:05:22.060
coach but
that doesn't mean that I'm completely deaf.
0:05:22.060,0:05:26.860
I live in-between two worlds. I live between
the hearing
0:05:26.860,0:05:30.910
world and the deaf world and I want to help
them out
0:05:30.910,0:05:32.880
where I can.
0:05:32.880,0:05:38.960
I have a lot of different challenges with
a lot of clubs
0:05:38.960,0:05:45.960
in Lismore where I live at the university.
I play with the local club and have very challenging
0:05:50.180,0:05:53.380
games with other local clubs in the competition.
0:05:53.380,0:06:00.340
Personally it's refreshing my signing communication
skills because they are very rusty. It's the
0:06:00.340,0:06:02.570
same
as any team. Dealing with different characters,
0:06:02.570,0:06:09.570
likes and dislikes, personal traits, distance,
communication, it's the same as any club.
0:06:10.410,0:06:12.509
The only
difference with this club is that some of
0:06:12.509,0:06:13.949
the guys
have a little bit of trouble hearing me.
0:06:13.949,0:06:17.210
With the hearing clubs they (deaf players)
are not
0:06:17.210,0:06:24.210
given the proper opportunity to explain and
express
0:06:24.580,0:06:27.610
themselves. They feel that they are not in
the loop
0:06:27.610,0:06:32.240
about what is happening on and off the field.
0:06:32.240,0:06:35.729
Hearing clubs tend to put them out on the
wing
0:06:35.729,0:06:42.460
because they can't speak and they can't communicate.
I would say that about 75% of these players
0:06:42.460,0:06:47.720
are good
players and the other 25% we can help but
0:06:47.720,0:06:54.150
they need
help from the hearing club also to improve
0:06:54.150,0:06:56.539
their
self-esteem.
0:06:56.539,0:07:03.539
Always start by giving the coach an understanding
of
0:07:05.229,0:07:12.229
how to communicate with the deaf players.
Let the coach know that you didn't understand
0:07:17.090,0:07:19.680
or
that the players don't understand hearing
0:07:19.680,0:07:23.660
coaches.
A lot of players tend to go "yep, yep, yep"
0:07:23.660,0:07:25.470
without
understanding anything at all.
0:07:25.470,0:07:31.520
Maybe write down on a piece of paper a note
and stop
0:07:31.520,0:07:38.520
during the session to generate understanding.
0:07:39.039,0:07:42.560
In the larger cities there are particularly
strond deaf
0:07:42.560,0:07:46.680
communities. For example in a lot of the towns
there
0:07:46.680,0:07:50.000
are deaf clubs. The can contact them put posters
on the
0:07:50.000,0:07:57.000
board, put electronic posters on their websites,
contact
0:07:58.150,0:08:05.120
local schools who have class for deaf or hearing
impaired
0:08:05.120,0:08:07.729
students.
There are a lot of ways of getting within
0:08:07.729,0:08:14.729
the avenue of
communication with these groups.
0:08:15.720,0:08:22.720
Basic communication skills. Body language
mime, using
0:08:24.120,0:08:28.020
interpreters, pulling poeple aside as you
do in a normal
0:08:28.020,0:08:32.620
club. communicating one on one. Being perhaps
a bit more
0:08:32.620,0:08:35.240
graphic with my arms and body language than
normal.
0:08:35.240,0:08:40.949
Spend some time with them before during and
after training.
0:08:40.949,0:08:45.250
If the deaf player is prepared to give commitment
spend
0:08:45.250,0:08:49.579
some time with them. Work out how to communicate
with them.
0:08:49.579,0:08:53.980
Really tolerance and open mindedness. Then
as you get to
0:08:53.980,0:08:58.990
know individual players you can modify your
techniques.
0:08:58.990,0:09:03.230
For example, I had a player who was totally
deaf in one ear
0:09:03.230,0:09:06.800
so it was useless me talking to that ear so
I just took
0:09:06.800,0:09:09.330
two steps to another direction and he was
included.
0:09:09.330,0:09:12.870
Again it's just knowing your players and their
individual
0:09:12.870,0:09:19.870
traits.
0:09:21.580,0:09:26.839
I'm very happy for them to get involved. To
learn different
0:09:26.839,0:09:31.850
development skills. I can't see why we can't
learn
0:09:31.850,0:09:35.620
from the hearing people. We can improve our
own skill level
0:09:35.620,0:09:42.620
and try to build up to their level. I believe
that the future
0:09:43.680,0:09:49.510
it really good. You never know we might have
more than one or
0:09:49.510,0:09:51.010
two teams in the future.
0:09:51.010,0:09:55.380
I'm involved as an assistant coach to Burraneer
Bay Rugby
0:09:55.380,0:10:02.180
Union Under 16's. That's a hearing club not
a deaf team.
0:10:02.180,0:10:06.839
I'm learning experience from a coach there.
I've achieved
0:10:06.839,0:10:13.839
Foundation and am now working on my exam fro
level one.
0:10:16.250,0:10:20.730
My ambition is to grow and make deaf rugby
bigger than
0:10:20.730,0:10:25.240
it is today. I want to keep in contact with
the deaf community.
0:10:25.240,0:10:30.310
Get involved and have life experiences in
different areas.
0:10:30.310,0:10:34.149
That's my ambition - to be successful and
have good
0:10:34.149,0:10:34.480
experiences.
