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The Aussie sport of Rugby League has done a huge amount to promote unity and diversity.
High profile Rugby League player Ian Roberts came out as gay in 1995 and since then the sport has done a lot to promote the acceptance of the gay community. Rugby League fans have typically been quite traditional thinkers and to have the leaders of the sport accept Ian Roberts as openly gay meant a lot to Aussie society and the acceptance of the Aussie gay community.
There are many great Aboriginal Rugby League players past and present and in modern times the sport of Rugby League has contributed significantly to helping Aussie society overcome racism with a zero tolerance policy.
In modern times our Aussie society has become more and more multicultural and the sport has gained many fans from different ethnicities. Our game of Rugby League gets great support in particular from our Australian-Lebanese community. There is a very healthy Aussie-Lebanese community in the Bankstown area, and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs especially have a huge Aussie-Lebanese supporter base.
One of my favourite Rugby League players in modern times was Hazem el Masri. Hazem el Masri is a Lebanese-Aussie that played his entire career for the Bulldogs. A one-club man is rare in modern sport. During his carrer Hazem el Masri accomplished great things. He was perhaps the sports greatest ever goal kicker and as a Bulldog he took the record as the highest ever point scorer in premiership history. He was part of two premiership winning Bulldog teams. He represented Australia at the international level. And he reached the highest level of the sport be being selected to represent New South Wales against the Queenslanders in State of Origin.
El Masri was born in Lebanon and he is a devout Muslim. He moved to Australia and became an Aussie. Being Aussie has nothing to do with where you were born. A Lebanese-Australian is considered every bit as Aussie as the next person and the sport of Rugby League is perfect for demonstrating this ideal of modern Aussie culture.
The State of Origin is the biggest sporting event on the Aussie sporting calender. It is an annual grudge match between NSW and QLD. The series is best of three games and is considered to be the sports highest level and highest honour. Playing for your State is more important in Rugby League than playing for Australia. The idea of Origin is that the players represent their state of origin. El Masri was born in Lebanon, but he has made New South Wales his home. Home is where the heart is and Hazem el masri is a New South Welshman.
One of Queenslands great Rugby League players is Greg Inglis. Inglis was actually born in New South Wales but has played his entire representative career as a Queenslander. He played in the Queensland junior competitions and his heart is with Queensland. So he is a Queenslander. It doesnt matter that he was born in New South Wales. It doesnt matter where Hazem el Masri was born, his heart is with NSW and he is every bit a New South Welshman as me or NSW great - Wayne Pearce.
And thats the thing about being Aussie in Modern Australia. The colour of your skin doesnt matter. Your religion doesnt matter. It doesnt matter where you were born. If you are a citizen and consider yourself an Aussie, then you are an Aussie. Being Australian means different things to different people but as long as your heart is with Australia, you are an Aussie.
A guy like Greg Norman will claim to be an Aussie. These expat types that decide to leave Australia and 'still call Australia home' are not real Aussies in my opinion. Greg Norman lives in America and talks with an American accent. His heart is clearly in America. He is about as Aussie as tax dodger Paul Hogan ( crocodile dundee ). Nick Faldo is closer to being Aussie than Greg Norman in my opinion, and he is a Pommy! Hazem el Masri is more Aussie than Greg Norman or Crocodile Dundee.
Hazem el Masri is a devout Muslim and it has been fantastic for Aussie society for us to have an Aussie-Muslim hero with such a high profile and high character. In 2002 Hazem el Mazri won the Ken Stephen Award that recognises players that contribute to the community away from Rugby League. El Mazri has done a lot of work in the community of The Area, working with young people and promoting diversity. He is a great Australian. Hazem has helped Aussie society to accept and appreciate Lebanese-Aussies. In Modern Australia doesnt matter where you from, Queensland or Lebanon, if your heart is with Australia, then you are an Aussie. No Aussie personifies this idea, or has done more to promote this idea, than great Aussie and New South Welshman - Hazem el Mazri.
High profile Rugby League player Ian Roberts came out as gay in 1995 and since then the sport has done a lot to promote the acceptance of the gay community. Rugby League fans have typically been quite traditional thinkers and to have the leaders of the sport accept Ian Roberts as openly gay meant a lot to Aussie society and the acceptance of the Aussie gay community.
There are many great Aboriginal Rugby League players past and present and in modern times the sport of Rugby League has contributed significantly to helping Aussie society overcome racism with a zero tolerance policy.
In modern times our Aussie society has become more and more multicultural and the sport has gained many fans from different ethnicities. Our game of Rugby League gets great support in particular from our Australian-Lebanese community. There is a very healthy Aussie-Lebanese community in the Bankstown area, and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs especially have a huge Aussie-Lebanese supporter base.
One of my favourite Rugby League players in modern times was Hazem el Masri. Hazem el Masri is a Lebanese-Aussie that played his entire career for the Bulldogs. A one-club man is rare in modern sport. During his carrer Hazem el Masri accomplished great things. He was perhaps the sports greatest ever goal kicker and as a Bulldog he took the record as the highest ever point scorer in premiership history. He was part of two premiership winning Bulldog teams. He represented Australia at the international level. And he reached the highest level of the sport be being selected to represent New South Wales against the Queenslanders in State of Origin.
El Masri was born in Lebanon and he is a devout Muslim. He moved to Australia and became an Aussie. Being Aussie has nothing to do with where you were born. A Lebanese-Australian is considered every bit as Aussie as the next person and the sport of Rugby League is perfect for demonstrating this ideal of modern Aussie culture.
The State of Origin is the biggest sporting event on the Aussie sporting calender. It is an annual grudge match between NSW and QLD. The series is best of three games and is considered to be the sports highest level and highest honour. Playing for your State is more important in Rugby League than playing for Australia. The idea of Origin is that the players represent their state of origin. El Masri was born in Lebanon, but he has made New South Wales his home. Home is where the heart is and Hazem el masri is a New South Welshman.
One of Queenslands great Rugby League players is Greg Inglis. Inglis was actually born in New South Wales but has played his entire representative career as a Queenslander. He played in the Queensland junior competitions and his heart is with Queensland. So he is a Queenslander. It doesnt matter that he was born in New South Wales. It doesnt matter where Hazem el Masri was born, his heart is with NSW and he is every bit a New South Welshman as me or NSW great - Wayne Pearce.
And thats the thing about being Aussie in Modern Australia. The colour of your skin doesnt matter. Your religion doesnt matter. It doesnt matter where you were born. If you are a citizen and consider yourself an Aussie, then you are an Aussie. Being Australian means different things to different people but as long as your heart is with Australia, you are an Aussie.
A guy like Greg Norman will claim to be an Aussie. These expat types that decide to leave Australia and 'still call Australia home' are not real Aussies in my opinion. Greg Norman lives in America and talks with an American accent. His heart is clearly in America. He is about as Aussie as tax dodger Paul Hogan ( crocodile dundee ). Nick Faldo is closer to being Aussie than Greg Norman in my opinion, and he is a Pommy! Hazem el Masri is more Aussie than Greg Norman or Crocodile Dundee.
Hazem el Masri is a devout Muslim and it has been fantastic for Aussie society for us to have an Aussie-Muslim hero with such a high profile and high character. In 2002 Hazem el Mazri won the Ken Stephen Award that recognises players that contribute to the community away from Rugby League. El Mazri has done a lot of work in the community of The Area, working with young people and promoting diversity. He is a great Australian. Hazem has helped Aussie society to accept and appreciate Lebanese-Aussies. In Modern Australia doesnt matter where you from, Queensland or Lebanon, if your heart is with Australia, then you are an Aussie. No Aussie personifies this idea, or has done more to promote this idea, than great Aussie and New South Welshman - Hazem el Mazri.
Not an RD thread. Moving.