The healing power of rugby has made a seat at Suncorp Stadium a joyful night not a terrifying one for 12-year-old Lucas Adam.
For the 40,000-plus eager fans now certain to attend the Queensland Reds-ACT Brumbies final on Saturday night, the decision was as simple as buying a ticket.
Not so for Lucas. It has taken four long years to contemplate him even watching live rugby at such a venue because noise, light bursts and jostling crowds have always been the enemy.
Lucas deals with autism and one spin-off from the soaring success of the Modified Rugby Program is the simple pleasure of being able to attend the final as a family.
“Rugby has given Lucas a sense of identity and community and the positive changes for him have been huge,” proud mum Linda said.
What makes the MRP unique, under founders Megan and Anthony Elliott, is matching eight boys and girls with eight older in-game mentors to guide them step-by-step through weekly training and games.
“When he first came along to Modified Rugby four years ago, Lucas would roll around on the grass and say ‘I can’t do this’,” Linda said.
“Now he’s showing things we never thought possible. We see him encouraging his friends in games and we see leadership.
“He plays rugby like other boys and that sense of pride in training and playing has given him a sense of identity. We see him happy.”
The support of St George Bank has helped nourish the MRP from a single team at Brothers in Brisbane in 2014 to a world-acclaimed program embracing more than 20 sides.
A $50,000 injection through the St George Footy Grants program has kept MRP rolling. A special Mother’s Day gesture will get the Adam family to the final along with 19 other MRP mums and their kids.
“There’s no way Lucas would be making this progress without the help of St George because there is nothing like this in other sports,” Linda said.
“The noise, the crowd and the anxiety which came with it terrified Lucas so going to Suncorp Stadium was never an option.
“It took four years but we finally were able to go to a Reds’ game as a family of four for the first time in February and the second time will be this final.
“For my husband Garth and I this is really special as parents to see Lucas totally enjoying himself in his community, the rugby community.”
Nudgee College student Eddie Ryan has been Lucas’s on-field mentor over several years which is a wonderful reflection of his spirit as well.
“We’ve had boys with language impairments, sensory issues to loud noises, no experience pulling on a jersey and not liking the feel of grass,” Megan said.
“It’s hard to explain that you have to break down everything in a game and teach gently from why you do a ‘high five’ to how to react when you are tagged.
“To see young people act as mentors is inspirational and a step towards creating a generation where a disability is normalised. It’s great that the Reds have been behind us because MRP has just had its seventh anniversary.”
The lift in confidence that MRP has given the Elliotts' own son Max, 18, is uplifting. His therapy is on a rugby field.
Brothers’ Queensland players Fraser McReight, Taniela Tupou, Harry Wilson, Josh Flook and Ryan Smith all made the effort to connect with the MRP group when they went down to club training last week.
Watching Tupou high five with Matty Castles, 17, and McReight talk with Max shows how genuine the Reds treat this ongoing link.
“It’s something pretty cool that rugby really is helping to create a path for everyone and that it all started at my club at Brothers,” McReight said.
“Keeping kids engaged with grassroots footy is so important, particularly after a year of tough restrictions.”
St George Bank General Manager Ross Miller encouraged more applications from junior rugby clubs to take advantage of the 2021 St George Footy Grants scheme with $250,000 available to ensure grassroots programs, like the MRP, receive much-needed assistance.
“Mums are at the heart of community sport, often putting a lot of time and energy into keeping local clubs going for their kids,” Miller said.
“We have supported young players at the Modified Rugby Program through
GingerCloud for a number of years with $50,000 in grants.
"This Mother’s Day we also wanted to give back to those mums who we know give so much, with tickets to the grand final which is sure to be a fantastic game."
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