2 hours Ago By Max McKinney
Knights legend Owen Craigie says he has been overwhelmed by the interest in the National Disability Rugby League Festival, an all-abilities carnival to be held at Charlestown next week. Login or signup to continue reading The former Knights, Rabbitohs and Tigers back, who played 76 games for Newcastle across 1995-99, launched the festival in June , combining his two great passions - rugby league and the support sector. After his professional rugby league career, Craigie gained employment in disability and aged-care services, and then ultimately launched his own business, Hunter-based Dreamtime Disability Services.
The organisation, with support from NDIS coordinator Uniting, is holding the inaugural two-day footy carnival at St John Oval on December 6-7. "With my background in NDIS, football and the community, it's just gotten bigger - I can't explain how it's turned out to be so massive," Craigie said. "We've got seven high schools with disability teams registered, and over 100 players registered.
"I met with NSW [Physical] Disability [Rugby League] last week in Sydney, and they asked 'how did you get so many players?', because they've only got four teams in the whole of Sydney. "I just said, 'well it's rugby league heartland up here in Newcastle ..
. and there's no better place to have it'. "There's going to be young kids, young boys and girls that are going to play the game that they love.
Not to be a spectator no more, but play the game they love." Speaking on Tuesday at St John Oval, where Knights stars Bradman Best and Jesse Southwell joined participants for a training run, Craigie said he had been inspired to create the event after watching an all-abilities match in Sydney last year. "I got a phone call from a guy named Doug Kean, who is with the NSW Physical Disability Rugby League Association.
"Doug invited me down to Kogarah Oval to watch the City-Country game, an all-abilities game. It was so inspiring to see people of all different types of disability, or all-abilities, play the game we love, and I just went, 'wow, wouldn't that be good in Newcastle?'." Craigie hopes the carnival can become an annual event, and already has plans to expand it.
"We've already got interest in Queensland," he said. "Hopefully after this we can run a competition throughout the year ..
. so it's not just a one-off, more like a round-robin competition over a couple of months." Interested participants can still register to play, as a team or individual, via the festival website .
Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald. He previously worked in news, covering mainly local government and transport. Max mostly reports on the Newcastle Knights, but also covers a mix of local sport.
Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald. He previously worked in news, covering mainly local government and transport. Max mostly reports on the Newcastle Knights, but also covers a mix of local sport.
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