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Deans hits streets to help the needy
Bret Harris | February 07, 2008
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...012430,00.html
THE WALLABIES may find themselves serving meals to the homeless as part of new coach Robbie Deans' plans to change the culture of the team.
The Crusaders' Kahn Fotuali'i (front) and Kade Poki (back) meet Zac Terneo (8, front) and other children from Bondi Public School at Ways Youth Centre in Bondi Beach. Picture: Amos Aikman
Deans is the most successful coach in the history of Super rugby, having guided the Crusaders to four titles since 2000.
But there is another side to Deans and the Crusaders that Australian fans are unaware of: their humanitarian work on the streets of Christchurch.
Every year members of the Crusaders join the Salvation Army in helping to feed, clothe and shelter those who are down on their luck in the picturesque city. They even hand out condoms to prostitutes to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
The charity program is compulsory for rookie players, to open their eyes to the plight of those less fortunate than themselves.
"We don't do it as much as we would like to do," Deans said at a WAYS Youth Services lunch in Sydney yesterday to raise funds for Australian children.
"We try and do a bit in the community. It's just building an awareness of some of the realities. It's good for us and, hopefully, it's good for the community as well.
"There's an outreach program which goes out and helps people. It's mainly a night-shift. That's our most obvious involvement, just being there, really, and offering food and shelter and so forth. There are other things, but that's the key, consistent component."
The Crusaders, who include famous All Blacks Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, are the highest-profile sportsmen in Christchurch, enjoying all the trappings that celebrity offers.
But seeing how the other half lives helps to keep the players' feet on the ground.
"It's just a great earthing experience," Deans said. "We revisit it as well for guys who have been there. I get out there every opportunity.
"It's a learning experience, for sure. It's quite alarming how, to be fair, some of these invisible elements ... how close they are to us. It's just an educational thing. The more connection we have with the community the better it is for us."
For those Australian rugby fans who were opposed to a foreigner coaching the Wallabies, it is worth keeping in mind Deans was helping to raise money for needy Australian kids yesterday.
Deans was the guest speaker at the lunch and also sent half of the Crusaders squad to the WAYS Youth Services at Bondi Beach to talk to kids and hand out jerseys.
And Deans made these arrangements last October, two months before he was appointed Wallabies coach.
"I just think it's a two-way street," he said. "It helps all parties. It helps us as much as it does them, to be frank."
Asked whether he would like to introduce a similar program with the Wallabies, Deans said: "I'm sure they are doing a lot already.
"I'm not aware of what their programs are. It's certainly something I'd seek to continue."
If Deans decides to involve the Wallabies in charity work, there will be no shortage of things for them to do. There are an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 kids sleeping on the streets of Australia every night.
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