The Game they Play in Heaven

Rugby: “The game they play in heaven!”
Rebecca Abbott

 

Rugby Union prides itself as the “the game they play in heaven!” Chaplain to Super-12 NSW Waratahs, Gary Speckman quips, “… so let’s make sure as many players as possible make the initial selection for that team!”

Speckman (an AIA missionary) wants to bring the Jesus “option” into the rugby playbook. As he says, “ Jesus is a true man’s man…a champion in every sense of the word! To know and follow Him in sport and in life enhances and adds meaning to any sports endeavour.”

In the world of rugby, Gary has worked with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) for four seasons as the Serious Injury Case Manager, caring for players with spinal injuries that have ended their rugby careers. In 2000 the Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA) appointed Gary to find chaplains for all three Australian Super 12’s teams. The Queensland Reds already had a chaplain who remained in place. Gary recruited a chaplain for the ACT Brumbies and took on the Waratahs’ chaplaincy himself. He also served as the official Chaplains’ co-ordinator for the Rugby World Cup hosted by Australia in 2003.

As the team chaplain, the main focus of Gary’s ministry is to build relationships with players one-on-one. Not only does this enable him to provide encouragement and support, but it can lead to opportunities to talk with them individually and personally about some of the deeper issues of life--including their relationships with God and others. By forming relationships with the players, Gary is also able to help them deal with the everyday issues of an elite athlete. Like everyone else, players also have problems in their personal lives, such as loss of a loved one, relationships, money management -- and some rely upon Gary for a listening ear.

A vital part of Gary’s role as chaplain is to be a Christian witness to players. Young men need to see older Christian men modeling biblical character and bringing Christ into focus through prayer and ongoing way-of-life interaction about spiritual matters. Gary depends on his “public” presence to model Christian behaviour as a means to attract rugby players to Christ, and then talks with them “privately” about faith issues when they express an interest. And they do!

Story courtesy of Rebecca Abbott, Venue Magazine-2003, Salvation Army



 

To the most passionate fans of the sport, rugby is known as “the sport they play in heaven.” Thus, the Rugby World Cup is believed to put the Super Bowl to shame when it comes to competition, rivalry, and media frenzy.

For Athletes in Action staff around the world, this worldwide tournament, which took place in October and November, provided the perfect opportunity to share the gospel with not only the 170 million live spectators, but also the 3.1 billion television audience of the games.

Gary Speckman, who is on staff with AIA in Australia, host country of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, worked with his team to create an initiative that combined a chaplains program with the media to minister to both fans and athletes participating the competition.

A special edition of the successful JESUS film was created called Rugby Legends: Beyond the Game. The video highlighted top Christian rugby players who shared their testimonies and talked candidly about the difference Jesus has made in their lives.

This JESUS video was handed out to all 20 teams in the tournament, as well as thousands of fans. Videos were handed out at games, tourist spots, and transportation stations, as well as big-screen venues where fans would congregate to watch the games on television.

Speckman and his team also recruited 27 chaplains to serve the teams during their stay in Australia. As a result, millions of fans saw two of these teams on their knees together in a post game prayer.

PHOTO: Gary with Van Humphreys