INVESTING IN RUGBY TO CREATE POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE
ACC AND NEW ZEALAND RUGBY (NZR) ARE BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF THE RUGBYSMART INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAMME WITH A NEW INVESTMENT THAT WILL STRENGTHEN THE FOCUS ON CREATING POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE IN COMMUNITIES.
ACC IS INCREASING ITS INVESTMENT IN RUGBYSMART TO $9.3 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO PREVENT INJURIES ON THE FIELD, AND ALSO PROMOTE POSITIVE BEHAVIOURS OFF THE FIELD.
“Hey Pete, do you have a few minutes?” Sure, I said. “Come with me.” We’ve just finished interviewing Eroni Clarke, former All Black and NZR Pasifika Engagement Manager, on the renewed RugbySmart partnership and he wants to show me something. “Let’s go find your Grandad.”
At New Zealand Rugby House in Wellington the names of every All Black in history line the walls. It is a special place and humbling to see my family name – Neville Thornton, All Black No 476 – part of this history.
Eroni – All Black No 919 – says it feels like yesterday that his name was called out back in 1992, and only a few weeks ago, the unforgettable moment for a Dad of getting the call from his son Caleb who finally broke the news that he was named in the 2020 All Blacks squad.
“He took forever to tell me,” Eroni says with a laugh. “It was Father’s Day
