Sudan the next Lebanon

[B rad]

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/league/video/watch/38813097/sudanese-refugees-make-rugby-league-history/

The joys of having both an obsession with international football and boring job that gives me plenty of time to ponder the "what ifs?" of our game, has given me the opportunity contemplate at length the merits of rugby league to target the Sudanese community in Australia, especially in Melbourne. For those who don't know Melbourne has a Sudanese gang problem, though others in an attempt to be politically correct and signal their virtue will tell you otherwise. Now I'm a person that believes people should be given a chance or two and in no way do I have an issue with Sudanese people or the Sudanese community, just criminals that do bad things. I am sure a vast majority Sudanese refugees that have been given the opportunity to live in one of the greatest countries on earth are here to better their lives and make the most of their opportunities this nation has presented them with. But their is an element with in their community small though it may be yet sizable enough to temp enough young men to go out in groups and act in an unlawful way and attract the attention of the Australian community and media.

Unfortunately this taints the rest of the Sudanese community unfairly. The Lebanese community once had a similar problem with gangs and issues and I see the Sudanese community in the same place Lebanese were 20 years ago. What changed? I'm sure there is still Lebanese gangs around but a majority of Lebanese immigrants have now integrated into Australian culture and are no longer in my opinion, looked at in a negative light.

So what is a big part of Australian culture? Sport of course. To help Sudanese kids fit more into the Australian way of life and integrate them into our culture the best way I can think to do it is through specifically targeting these kids and getting them involved in Australian sport.  That way they make Australian friends rather then just hang out in groups  who through lack of wisdom might be tempted to go out and do things they should not be doing. A interest in Australian sport can help them form bonds of friendship with their team mates as they now have something in common with Australian kids, make Australian friends and get to know the families of such friends and eradicate any bias they have of locals through doing so. Even Sudanese parents, to sit down and have a beer with one of the other dads and talk football would be a great tool to make these people feel more at home in Australia and accepting of the Australian way of doing things.  

Melbourne as successful as they have been on the field and as a club have not had a huge amount of success in bringing through local Victorian talent.  Many of the born and bred Victorians have AFL in their blood with generation after generation playing and immersing themselves in the game to extreme levels. Not so with the Sudanese community, many of who have only just arrived into this country. If Rugby League targets the Sudanese community in Melbourne the first big name Victorian home grown player may very well of African decent.

They would be doing the community a favor by getting these kids off the street and on the football field. They would be doing the kids a favor by getting them more active in eating the right foods and doing the right exercise and giving them something to focus on then going out in groups and getting themselves into trouble. They would be doing themselves a favor with media attention for doing something positive in the community and by opening their brand to a new player pool of local Victorians who desperately need to find somewhere they can fit into Australian society and create good role models for Sudanese and other Victorian kids. They would also be doing Rugby League a favor by possibly creating the next Lebanon style international rugby league team who through the work of expat Lebanese players now have national recognition in their home country and their own rugby league competitions.   There is a lot of positives. 

Start encouraging kids to take up the game by offering Sudanese schoolboy representative games, maybe even tours. Create an academy, a clubhouse or even a team where these kids can go and focus on doing the right things to become the best rugby league players they can be and not spend time hanging out on the streets. Create goals like forming a future African Cup with South Africa, Lebanon and Sudan tri series to build up a competitive national side that can one day take part in the World Cup and do Sudanese immigrants and Sudan the nation proud like Lebanon has done.  

If we do these things then maybe one day the Melbourne Storm might have a group of home grown local role models in their team that can further push our game into the AFL dominated Victorian sports market and a new Rugby League international team with a feel good story left in its wake. 

[Pulga]

I only skimmed through your post but I'm not sure what Melbourne has to do with this. They don't really have a gang problem. It's typical Melbourne trying to get attention.

I'd reccomend Toowoomba. A League town with a huge Sudanese population with next to no competition from AFL.

[B rad]

54 minutes ago, Pulga said:

I only skimmed through your post but I'm not sure what Melbourne has to do with this. They don't really have a gang problem. It's typical Melbourne trying to get attention.

I guess it depends on which paper you read or which police man you listen too. I'm sure there are plenty parts of Melbourne you can stroll around and have zero issues with gangs other parts maybe not so much. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-02/street-gangs-are-a-problem-in-melbourne-police-admit/9297984

"African gangs in Melbourne are a problem, police admit, as Victorian Government defends strategy"

[kiwis 13 6]

I lived in Melbourne for 5 years Rugby League is niche sport there, followed by people who's families have moved to Melbourne/Victoria from QLD & NSW, NZ, Pacific Islands & the north of England, As well as a few Victorians who are looking for something different from AFL. State of Origins & Test matches in the Melbourne get resident ex pat groups & local enthusiasts excited but are held largely to attract tourism to the city.

The Storm have done well to from a niche following in a city that cuts non AFL winter sports few favors. To put it in perspective Storms following is about as a big as the smaller/weakest of the 9 AFL clubs based in Melbourne. AFL was invented in Melbourne has 150 years of tradition, has Insane amounts of free media coverage in Melbourne based media. Most new migrants to Melbourne/Victoria from countries not familiar to Rugby have no idea that Rugby League is most popular code in NSW & QLD becasue all they hear about is AFL. I would guess that many Sudanese migrants in Melbourne haven't even herd of rugby league! 

The Sudanese gang thing is a social problem no doubt, but it is also a massive media over hype out of all proportion couple of fights in the city & teenagers stood over & robbed at the beach by gang easily identifiable with an ethnic minority... thats hardly Keyser Sose stuff! Anyway if you can get troubled youth into sport & Rugby League in Melbourne to bring about social integration in Melbourne all power to you.. i would even volunteer to help. But Rugby League is probably not going to be Sudanese migrants to Melbourne most popular sport.

[RabbitRhinoovOZ]

5 hours ago, kiwis 13 6 said:

I lived in Melbourne for 5 years

I'm very sorry to hear that, I hope given time you'll recover.

[kiwis 13 6]

Yeah still recovering... weird place Melbourne... but i like to get paid 25% more for doing the same job & living cost are fractionally cheaper or the same as NZ... so contemplating round 3...

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Waste of time. The ARLC and NRL cant even be bothered about the game in the heartland areas, especially Country RL. Why would they even think of a trying to do anything with a group that know nothing about the game?

The africans in particular Somalis in Melbourne have a number of dangerous people who often commit violence crimes. They often show no respect to people of other cultures from what I hear and read. No doubt it requires properly Trained people, that know how Best to work with this group, not just Sport Coaches. Doubt we have too many of them in Melbourne...You cant just throw a Coach or Development Officer in there you need far more than that and usually its somebody from that Culture that is the best maybe for a time the only option.

[Sports Prophet]

Usually these initiatives are formed as a partnership between sport governing bodies and other community groups that include the leaders and suitably trained people that you suggest LLR.

So no, I don't necessarily think it's a waste of time. Nor do I believe the gang problem is simply a media frenzy without substance.

A programme targeting African migrant children would be a great initiative with positive connotations for the sport, however I wouldn't be investing a huge amount of $$$ in it if it was my decision. I would want significant partner funding.

I would note though that having a beer with the Sudnese parents would be an unlikely development...

 

[Copa]

Go to the Africa United Rugby League Incorporated Facebook page to see some great work being done with African migrant communities in Australia.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

2 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Usually these initiatives are formed as a partnership between sport governing bodies and other community groups that include the leaders and suitably trained people that you suggest LLR.

So no, I don't necessarily think it's a waste of time. Nor do I believe the gang problem is simply a media frenzy without substance.

A programme targeting African migrant children would be a great initiative with positive connotations for the sport, however I wouldn't be investing a huge amount of $$$ in it if it was my decision. I would want significant partner funding.

I would note though that having a beer with the Sudnese parents would be an unlikely development...

 

That all maybe True but seen as the ARLC/NRL do next to nothing for the game in the heartlands do you really think they would do anything in Melbourne? And with respect, the grassroots development in Victoria is still fragile and doesnt have the Power, experience and connections that NSW or QLD has, that can help Support the African and other cultures. If it was down to the games bodies the Latin Heat, African team etc would not be in existance! 

[kiwis 13 6]

Nah its a media frenzy! nobody has been killed, few robberies & fights. If they weren't Sudanese an easily identifiable it wouldn't even make the news.

Here is a real look at the type of area lot of Sudanese live in Melbourne Sunshine... if you watch you see zero to do with rugby league but is a few AFL references... Rugby League is not a big part of day to day life for the average person in Melbourne.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0n32-dn1vk

this is about worst of what Melbourne youth gangs are up to.. told in sensational way to attract maximum views out of fear... its bad but really but nothing compared to what higher level organised crime in Australia is up to!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RuMv9EW8LY

 

 with Italian or Lebanese organised crime in Melbourne Northern Suburbs.. people actually get killed on fairly regular basis in those scenes... anyway best chance you have of getting Sudanese youth to play rugby league in Melbourne would be if they have Maori or Island mates into Rugby League who encourage them to come along to one of the dozen local amateur clubs in city of 4 million people...