Wallabies' TV Commercial
Stimulus material
Wallabies' TV Commercial. The title of this TV commercial, 'Butterflies. Everyone gets them, Champions use them' explores the Wallabies' emotions on the day leading up to a Test match.
The TV commercial was developed by the Australian Rugby Union to promote the Wallabies and Test match ticket sales to Rugby fans across Australia during the 2005 international Rugby season.
Suggested learning activities
- Play the Wallabies' TV commercial and ask students the following questions:
- Do you think the Wallaby players had butterflies before the test match? Why?
- Are butterflies a good thing? Why?
- What things appeared to help the Wallaby players channel their nervous energy?
- Do you think the TV commercial's theme 'Butterflies. Everyone gets them, Champions use them' is appropriate? Why?
- Brainstorm with students a list of situations when they have had butterflies before performing as an individual or as part of a team e.g. at school, at home, in a sports team etc. Discuss the reasons why people get butterflies.
- Discuss and write down the associated feelings and thoughts that each situation evoked. Additionally write down any methods students used to 'get through' the situations.
- Organise students into small groups. Give each small group one of the brainstormed situations to role play. Tell students that each role play should illustrate:
- What the situation is
- How people are feeling and what they are thinking
- Ways people channel their nervous energy
- Allow time for each group to plan their role play and perform in front of the class.
- Reflect on why people - even high profile elite athletes like the Wallabies - get butterflies, and ways they can positively channel their nervous energy.
Related resources
This activity could be used in conjunction with the EdRugby lesson Talking to the team which focuses on communication styles used in Rugby situations.
