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SNN July 2018

A.J. Poua personal trainer in a wheelchair Attitude employee award BNZ Crusaders visit NZSCIR registry Welcome backpack Wheelie Good Tips Bayfair Festival of Disability Sports Bailey Unahi Outward Bound Jazz on fitness Lynda Scott 49 yrs in a chair

A.J. Poua personal trainer in a wheelchair
Attitude employee award
BNZ Crusaders visit
NZSCIR registry
Welcome backpack
Wheelie Good Tips
Bayfair Festival of Disability Sports
Bailey Unahi Outward Bound
Jazz on fitness
Lynda Scott 49 yrs in a chair

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Left to right Crusaders; Mike Alaatatoa and Owen Franks with<br />

Forwards Coach Ryan Jason Ryan, and Hans Wouters, CEO of the<br />

New Zealand Spinal Trust<br />

CRUSADERS VISIT THE BURWOOD SPINAL UNIT<br />

By Zahra Shahtahmasebi<br />

12<br />

The rugby culture in New Zealand is undeniable. The Rugby<br />

Union is our version of Hollywood; the players are our A-list<br />

celebrities. You can’t help but feel a little star-struck at the chance<br />

to meet them in person.<br />

The Crusaders rugby team puts this perspective to good use in the<br />

charity work it does. Team members are frequent visitors to the<br />

Burwood Spinal Unit, whenever they have time between training<br />

and matches.<br />

In early March, two Crusaders; Owen Franks and Mike Alaalatoa<br />

alongside Forwards Coach, Jason Ryan, paid an hour-long visit to<br />

the Spinal Unit. Patients from both the Spinal Unit and the Brain<br />

Injury Unit were invited to attend and meet the players.<br />

The impact of this visit was massive; good vibes filled the unit,<br />

with patients, staff, and players all pleased to have the opportunity<br />

to interact with each other. Down in the Spinal Unit, two weeks<br />

later, posters still covered the walls, and the positive atmosphere<br />

continued to linger.<br />

New Zealand Spinal Trust Chief Executive Officer, Hans Wouters,<br />

thought the event was fantastic and was happy with how it went.<br />

It was clear to see how the patients, in particular, were uplifted by<br />

the rugby players who came.<br />

Hans said there’s a certain feeling of ‘Groundhog Day’ within the<br />

unit when nothing out of the ordinary really happens. So having<br />

events like this helps to break up the everyday monotony and bring<br />

a little excitement.<br />

Hans believed it wouldn’t matter if the players were from a<br />

different sport – anyone nationally famous - even politicians -<br />

would have the same impact and bring warmth and sunshine to the<br />

patients’ lives.<br />

The Crusaders visit whenever they can – at least once or twice a<br />

year. The All Blacks have even visited at times, when they’ve been<br />

hosted by the Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU). Aside<br />

from personal visits, the CRFU also provides the BSU with 12 free<br />

tickets for each home game in the ITM cup and the Super Rugby<br />

Season.<br />

These tickets are distributed by peer support worker Brett<br />

Ladbrook, who attends the match along with the patients. For<br />

some, it will be their first time out in a wheelchair and it can begin<br />

as an intimidating and overwhelming experience. But Wouters,<br />

who also attends the matches, spoke of the immense positive<br />

impact this has by providing a safe environment to facilitate a great<br />

experience.<br />

The BNZ Crusaders, the CRFU and the Canterbury District<br />

Health Board Burwood Spinal Unit (BSU) have a long-standing<br />

relationship, which was established and avidly maintained by<br />

Graham Tapper, a former CDHB employee. The importance of<br />

this relationship is huge, with rugby being a significant contributor<br />

to spinal cord injuries in its early days. Now fewer rugby players<br />

are coming through the Spinal Units – in fact, cycling has become<br />

the biggest contributor to spinal cord injuries.<br />

Unfortunately, Graham Tapper passed away in 2013, and it seemed<br />

then that the opportunity for this partnership was lost.<br />

However, Hans arrived on the scene, as Project Manager of<br />

the New Zealand Spinal Trust. He had collaborated with the<br />

Crusaders in his previous work and learned the Burwood Spinal<br />

Unit also had a history with them. After being given the goahead<br />

by Liz Oliver, Wouters took the opportunity to revive the<br />

relationship where Tapper left off.<br />

Now the New Zealand Spinal Trust acts as the conduit between<br />

the BNZ Crusaders, the CRFU and the BSU, and helps by adding<br />

value and resources to the event.<br />

Regarding the event in March, it was Jase Ryan’s idea to take the<br />

players to the Spinal Unit – it was important for him that the<br />

players saw and understood such situations.<br />

Wouters said this relationship, while being light-hearted, also brings<br />

some reality. For the patients, it creates a beautiful distraction - for<br />

those few moments while the players are in the Unit, the patients<br />

won’t be thinking about their injuries or their pain.<br />

And for Wouters, he maintains “any moments I can create like this,<br />

I will.”

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