Hard
Men Reveal Past
Petero Civoniceva and Alex Chan tell their personal stories
Front row forwards usually let their actions speak for themselves.
They are the tough men of the game whose mere presence normally commands respect.
It was with interest in what makes these men tick that Parramatta's Dean Widders approached two of the toughest men in the game in internationals Petero Civoniceva (Brisbane Broncos and Australia) and Alex Chan (Melbourne Storm and New Zealand) to tell their personal stories.
Both players accepted the invitation to participate in the 'Voices of Australia' project that aims to encourage greater understanding and friendship between people of different backgrounds through sharing the stories of their experiences.
Petero Civoniceva stands out of the crowd for a variety of reasons: he is a mountain of a man; his Fijian heritage is another obvious feature, and more importantly; he stands out as a person of rare integrity and honesty.
Civoniceva
was brought to the country as a one year old and his experiences growing
up have seen him develop into a proud Australian.
"I am proud of my Fijian heritage and to this day Mum and Dad remind me of my links," Civoniceva said. "But I identify strongly with being Australian first."
Civoniceva recently returned from a fleeting visit to Fiji where he enjoyed the opportunity to experience the food, language and other cultural aspects, but for him Australia is definitely his home.
However, growing up in Redcliffe as a youngster was not always easy for Petero.
"I was one of the few dark kids in the area so I copped my share of name-calling," he said.
"I also copped a bit of sledging in my junior career but have never experienced any form of racism in my senior career.
"Over time people's attitudes have changed for the better."
In his school years, Petero sometimes felt as if he was tolerated rather than accepted by parts of the school community.
"I often felt that I was seen as a big guy who was good at sports, in particular footy," he said.
"A lot of people never really got to know me," he continued. "That changed in my final year when I was made Boys' School Captain.
"People got to see a part of me that they otherwise wouldn't.
"It enabled me to show a different aspect of my character - they got to see what I stand for."
It is his character as much as his on field prowess that makes Civoniceva one of the most respected players in the game.
Speak to Alex Chan about respect and he will recite a number of people who have become life-long friends through his pursuit of a career in football.
Chan is one of the proudest footballers of Maori heritage in the game, but
even in his childhood knew what it was to feel like an outsider.
"My father's grandfather was Chinese and Dad still has family living in Auckland," he said.
"We would often go to family functions with our Chinese relatives and even though we were made to feel part of the family I still felt like an outsider looking in."
When Chan decided to pursue his dream in the National Rugby league (NRL) he knew that he would initially be a true outsider as he was leaving behind his family and other support networks.
"I moved to Sydney in 1995 to try and crack into the NRL. Since the big move across the pond, I've made some great friends inside and outside the game who made my life easier, and without them I may not have made it to where I am today," he said.
"I came to Australia on a holiday, with the intention to pursue my football career. I was staying with my cousin who had migrated from New Zealand a year earlier. She was flatting with her high school friend who had recently married her New Zealand born, Australian raised Maori fiancé – Shayne.
"What drew me to Shayne and his wife was the way they made me feel welcome in their home. They made me feel like part of the family."
Shayne not only became a friend, but also something of a mentor, as Alex started out playing for the North Sydney Bears.
"I have come to value my friendship with Shayne so much that we refer to each other as brothers.
"He is someone who I have used as a role model to be confident, open-minded, hospitable and generous.
"All of these factors are vital to be respected, which is exactly what Shayne is," he said.
Chan laughed when he recounted the first few ‘Aussie' friends he made in his early days.
"Rutch (Sean Rutchenson) was the first Australian I met when I moved over here. He came across to me as a true blue Aussie bloke, from what I saw growing up watching Bryan Brown on the TV," he said.
"He made my transition to life without my family at hand so much easier. In fact, he was so important to me that I named my first daughter (Shaun) after him – although I did change the spelling"
Chan's next unexpected friendship was another lower grade player who taught him not to treat people based on their appearances.
"I met Hokei (Lau) in 2000 while playing footy for North Sydney. We both lived in the Western Suburbs of Sydney and our training sessions were in Gosford. So we started a car pool and our friendship developed from there.
"Not many Asians play rugby league in Australia. When I came across Hokei, I was filthy. I thought I might be the only player in Australia with Chinese blood, until I found out Hokei was a full blooded Chinaman.
"As soon as he spoke, his colourful language was delivered with the broadest of Australian accents.
"He had the temper of a mongoose, but a great sense of humour. He has great respect for me and my family and he spoils my kids with presents and lollies. Hence they've dubbed him Uncle Hokei Lau.
Along with Shayne and Rutch, Hokei will be a friend for life," he concluded.
Chan's football career will take him to France next year where he, along with his growing family, look forward to experiencing another culture and making some more unexpected friendships.
Last updated: 24 August 2005.
© Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
Comments and Feedback welcome - Email: voices@humanrights.gov.au.
