CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
On top of the the good work they do providing food, shelter and medicine to people suffering in war and poverty around the planet – World Vision has today delved into consoling the hearts and minds of some of Australia’s most destitute sporting fans.
The Parramatta Eels. Australia’s most tortured and long-suffering fanbases.
Tim Costello, the former CEO and lifelong ambassador for the famous humanitarian charity, says Australians should no dismiss the suffering of Parramatta Eels fans.
“Some people say disgraceful rugby league performances are not as pertinent as hunger or displacement” he says.
“That is not a comparison we should be making. It is not our duty to judge who needs help the most. It is our duty to give help to those who need help. And these people need help”
“These people may not live in the 3rd world. They may not be voice their distress out loud. But they too deserve whatever help and comfort we can provide them, especially when they rarely win more than 15 matches a season”
The Parramatta Eels have the longest drought of any NRL club in the competition, with the team not winning a Premiership for nearly forty years since 1986. The average Parra fan has grown used to their team very rarely making the final eight, and when they do, collapsing at the very start of the following season.
Despite this, they are somehow the most widely supported club in the NRL, with 454,000 supporters. This makes up roughly 1 in 6 NRL fans. Almost half of these vulnerable Australians are children.
This week, World Vision has launched their new charity drive aimed at boosting the morale and improving the quality of life for Australian families that are ailed by an unwavering loyalty to the shittest club in the NRL.
The new campaign, titled ParraMatters, will roll out nuns and volunteers with collection buckets at shopping centres around Australian – with the goal of raising enough funds to provide each blue and gold child with Origin tickets, and give them a chance to cheer on a winning rugby league side from the grandstands just once in their lives.
“I feel so sorry for these poor, poor people” says Costello.
“And judging by the first few rounds of this season Things aren’t going to change on the ladder any time soon.”
“So please dig deep”
