FEW things have as much power to drive social change like rugby league, particularly in regional communities where the game is the lifeblood.
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It’s something rugby league legend David Peachey has seen at work in nine years as as an ambassador for the state government’s Tackling Domestic Violence campaign.
“Rugby league’s an integral part of smaller communities, in a lot of places it’s the lifeline,” Peachey says.
“It’s that link within communities and, when you look at ways to talk about something no one really wants to talk about, rugby league is the perfect vehicle.”
The program asks clubs to take a public stand on the issue that has an insidious impact on communities, particularly in regional areas, by producing their own domestic violence code of conduct.
Clubs also attend education workshops that lay out the cold hard stats around the issue.
“One in three women experience domestic violence,” Peachey said.
“You look at your grandmother, your mother and your sister… the stats say one of them will be affected at some stage in their life. They’re the short, sharp powerful messages we’re able to get across through rugby league.”
What started with six clubs nine years ago has since grown to more than 30 across the state.
“The most powerful thing we’ve found is the code of conduct,” Peachey said.
“It’s a simple contract but it gives clubs that ownership and the power to be role models and leaders in addressing these issues.”
Berkeley have taken the lead in the Illawarra and will take on Corrimal at home on Saturday aiming to retain the Tackling Domestic Violence Shield they claimed last year.
It’s an initiative undertaken in conjunction with the Illawarra Rugby League’s White Ribbon round, something Peachey has thrown his support behind.
“The initiative’s fantastic,” Peachey said.
“That's what we want, the initiative coming from the grassroots and the community to take ownership of it and say lets have this conversation around an issue that affects us all.”
Eagles coach Aaron McDonald said the club is proud to be taking the lead on the issue.
“We had about 60 people there on Tuesday, across all our grades, hearing the message,” McDonald said.
“Paul Morris and the committee have done a wonderful job getting it started and the support from the club has been awesome. Corrimal’s support of it the last two years has been great and it’s a message that really needs to be out there to the community.”
On the paddock, McDonald is confident the Eagles are edging towards their first win of the season after giving joint competition leaders Thirroul a huge scare last week
“It’s taken us a while to gel as a team but I think we're slowly starting to get there,” McDonald said.
“We’ve been good in patches every game this year bar the Dapto one.
“I think we’ve started to put 60-80-minute performances together over the last two weeks against Helensburgh and Thirroul last week.
“I think both teams walked away from that one knowing it was a good game and we certainly showed that we can match it on our day.”