RUGBY LEAGUE NEWS:
| Full Time | ||
| Written by: Bay Vikings (Warriors) | ||
| January 21st 2010 11:25 PM | ||
Except for their fullback. He was easily the smallest and youngest in their team by a few years, but he was also their best. This kid wasn’t giving up. In the last quarter of the game, he scored two tries, then manufactured two more for his teammates, smiling ear to ear the whole time. One of his tries was a length of the field effort where he stepped our entire team, similar to what we've seen from Billy Slater and Matt Bowen in the NRL. Our team hung on for a tight victory and celebrated quietly, relieved that they weren't completely embarrassed by a teenager. After the post match warm downs I overheard one of our spectators talking to a player that he knew from the other team. "Good game brother, pretty close in the end. That young fullback of yours is something special!" the spectator said. "Yeah he's good alright," replied the player. "In fact, he's just signed a contract with the Warriors." A few weeks later, my son and I were moving some furniture, when he broke the news: "Remember that fullback who was tearing up against us in the reserves game? He killed himself last week! Someone told me at the party I was at last night." We sat down for a while and talked about it, then about suicide in general. I tried to sound wise, reassuring him that no problem he would ever face was worth taking his life over. I think he took it all in but you can’t be absolutely sure how your child will react to a personal problem they perceive as insurmountable. When I met up with the other fathers at the league club the following weekend, it was obvious that we'd all been thinking about it. His death was the main topic of discussion as we watched our boys play against the sons of another group of fathers who also would have discussed this tragedy. We speculated on why a boy with seemingly the world at his feet, would take such drastic action. Different theories arose and some were quite plausible while others were clearly based on rumour. In the end it didn’t matter though; whatever the reason, the outcome was still the same. I didn't know this kid but I still think about him occasionally. I'd like to think he made a rash decision in a moment of weakness, perhaps drunk and depressed he followed through on a threat not taken seriously by others. The reality though is that suicide is all too common in New Zealand, especially amongst young males and quite often it's planned well in advance. It very rarely makes the papers unless there's some twist to the story. This kid wasn't famous enough yet to get any mention other than an obituary. I've had three people close to me kill themselves over the years. The first was a friend from school who intentionally overdosed after a failed relationship. The second was a carefree boy I watched grow into a troubled teenager who took his own life to teach us all a pointless lesson. The last one pains me the most, though. He was a fellow boxer who turned up to our training one winters' evening after being away for a year. We caught up, reminisced, joked around then after we parted he went home and hung himself. I don't know if he was reaching out for help or just saying goodbye. For those contemplating suicide, I imagine their despair is like being at the bottom of a well. If they're looking at what's straight in front of them then no matter which way they turn, it seems dark and hopeless. But if they look up, they'll see there's a way out. It'll be a tough climb though. I've got a ladder; all they have to do is ask for help. Rest In Peace, Tyrone. Posted in the F7s Matches forum in May 2009 The F7s is an article writing competition hosted on The Front Row forums here on LeagueUnlimited.com To join a team, click on the banner below  FOR ALL F7s MATCHES, CLICK HERE |
