The scholarship program is known as "Rugby-Plus" – but it’s the “plus” which really counts. Participants share a common passion for “Union” but the Christian-value initiative concentrates on off-field conduct. Most participants are
young men from Pacific Islands like Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Many of the current class are from the remote Fijian island of Ovalau where substance abuse, domestic violence and low self-esteem are disturbingly common.
31-year-old Isreli Qalo is into the second year of his “Rugby Plus experience, but clearly remembers his challenging times in his homeland.
“I am (was) a drug addicted person I can't live without smoking weed for one day like after two hours I should take drugs,” Mr Qalo said.
Fellow participant Mika Ruru confronted similar demons while living in the community. He said he now regrets his behaviour.
“Normally the old people in our community and the villages they don't agree with what we do when we get drunk and all this stuff - when we get drunk we cause trouble around the village and our community,” Mr Ruru said.
Rugby Pus offers the young men a range of activities aimed at demonstrating the importance of honesty, reliability, respect and even punctuality. They live in a communal house in Melbourne’s inner East.
Waqa Baravilala founded the program several years ago, but says the simple principles of the program are as effective as ever.
“Sometimes these young people they have to un-learn a lot of things so that they can learn new things and make positive choices in their life and putting them in a good environment will help make some of these right choices,” Mr Baravilala said.
But Rugby underpins the program. The participants love it and Box Hill Rugby Club aligns with the program – meaning a weekly game provides an escape and in some cases a measure of their progress.
Isireli Qalo says he has taken many lessons learned off the field.
“Referees and touch judge - back in the islands we always swear at them and give them comments but when I come here I respect them,” Mr Qalo said.
Taking rugby clinics at primary schools enables the men to share their passion for the sport in AFL-dominated Melbourne – but returning to their villages and sharing their many lessons learnt.
“I will be a good role-model and tell them that drugs and alcohol it's all useless,” said Isreli Qalo.
A measure of success according to Waqa Baravilala.
“It's a crowning glory of the journey to see them grab hold of these values and live by them and are committed to pass it on to other people,” he said.
