It is not every day that you have the opportunity to meet the caliber of person that I had the pleasure of meeting last Friday. And this was to be no ordinary day for Jordan Bowater and Brenton Ashford-Potter. It was the realisation of a dream for these two young men as they were the guests of honour at WIN Jubilee Oval.
Through their involvement in our Inclusive Rugby League Program, both Brenton and Jordan who are Rugby League fanatics were invited along by the New South Wales Rugby League for an experience of a lifetime.
With both boys currently residing and having either attended or in Jordan’s case, still attending school on the South Coast, it comes as no surprise that they are avid St George-Illawarra Dragons fans (although Brenton stated he is also very much a Titans fan!), so the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Kogarah on game day was a real treat.
The afternoon started with the ARL Schoolboy Cup match between Illawarra Sports High and Holy Cross College. Obviously the boys were cheering for the Illawarra side and I’m happy to report that Illawarra Sports High didn’t disappoint prevailing 14-6 in what was a tough encounter.
Throughout the match Jordan was kept busy as he was assisting NSWRL staff as an interchange steward whilst Brenton, who has a keen interest in the media was watching all the action with Channel Nine production staff on his own little television right on the sideline.
During the afternoon Brenton and Jordan had the opportunity to have a kick and a pass on the same oval that they were able to watch their hero’s take to only hours later. They met and had their pictures taken with Channel Nine commentators Peter Sterling and Tim Gilbert, who were only too happy to stop and talk. Channel Nine staff took them on a tour through their Outside Broadcasting Van to see what happens behind the scenes on Game Day. But without a shadow of a doubt the highlight of the day was when the boys met St George-Illawarra head coach Wayne Bennett.
After meeting up with Wayne in the tunnel, he invited them both into the dressing room for a chat. They were so excited and couldn’t actually believe they were talking to and standing beside Wayne Bennett, much less inside the player’s dressing room. Wayne was amazing with both of the boys and has even invited them both to attend a St George-Illawarra training session in the coming months.
At the completion of the match both Brenton and Jordan were both also allowed entry into the Titans dressing room where they met and had their photos taken with stars like Mat Rogers and Kevin Gordon.
Apart from their involvement in the Inclusive Rugby League Program throughout 2010, both Brenton and Jordan have also been heavily involved with the ‘Sports Ready Program’ run by the Disability Trust in Wollongong. This has allowed both of them to stay actively involved with sport in their community and particularly with league via their team the ‘Score Dragons’ which they play and train with regularly.
It is hoped that in the future both Brenton and Jordan will continue to be involved with the Integral Energy Western Sydney Rugby League Academy’s, Inclusive Rugby League Programs which recently was awarded a substantial grant that will allow the program to expand and offer a wider range of opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in our wonderful sport.
The parents of Brenton and Jordan asked to express their thanks to everyone that made this wonderful day possible with special mention to John Wilson who oversees the Inclusive Rugby League Program and also Steve Hewson from the NSWRL Academy who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everything came together on the day for the boys.
Anyone who would like to inquire about the Integral Energy Western Sydney Rugby League Academy’s, Inclusive Rugby League Program is encouraged to contact the Academy on (02) 47256000 or anybody from the Illawarra district that is looking to get involved with the Disability Trust that oversees the Score Dragons can contact the Trust on (02) 42558000 and ask to speak to Michael or Amy.
