BY ALEX TIGANI
Danny Eather may not be playing in this year’s tournament.
Nevertheless, the regular A-Plus Contracting Hunter Valley Mining Charity Rugby League Day organiser deserves the most spotlight for keeping the region’s biggest event on the calendar alive throughout the covid era.
There has not been a six-month period where floods, heavy rainfall or covid has not postponed the tournament which was last played in October 2019.
Though the tournament has finally returned, he does not want any fanfare or credit.
He instead hopes to continue to raise awareness for the service.
“Ultimately the impact that Rescue Helicopter and the critical care medical team onboard is the matter of life and death,” he explained.
“The expertise increases people chances of survival and recovery greatly.
“So many people that are still with us in the community would not have been so fortunate if it wasn’t for the intervention of the medical teams onboard the Rescue Helicopter.”
Prior to commencing his role as the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Regional Partnership Officer in 2017 he had already managed four Rugby League Days within his eight years as a volunteer along with an array of fundraising events and activities.
He continues to build partnerships across the business and community sector for the WRHS through a range of opportunities and programs.
“The Rescue Helicopter has touched so many lives here in the Hunter that there is not one person that you speak to that doesn’t know of someone within their immediate family or group of friends and colleagues that has had to be airlifted,” he concluded.
| The tournament’s postponement era | |
| March 2020 | Registration launched and determination to push ahead despite the arrival of Covid for October 2020 event. |
| October 2020 | Event pushed back to November 2020 as it was expected health restrictions would be easing. |
| November 2020 | Restrictions hadn’t eased so the event was postponed until March 2021. |
| March 2021 | Event planning and preparation for a ‘Covid-Safe’ event was completed and setup was occurring until three days prior that the decision to postpone was made due to weather conditions that saw the northern end of the playing field under ankle deep water. Postponement until October 2021 was decided. |
| October 2021 | Postponement unable to proceed due to second wave (Omicron Variant) of Covid and the subsequent restrictions. March 2022 would be attempted. |
| March 2022 | Third wave of Covid prevented the event occurring. |
| September 2022 | Event moved forward one month from traditional October month as the Singleton Rugby League Club will commence redevelopment work on September 19. |
