The Wire

With so much attention on the problem of the drinking culture that goes with playing sport the story of the rugby team from the indigenous community of Umagico on Cape York stands out as proof that the two don’t have to go together. Tired of the violence and arrests that interfered with footy season and caused social problems on his community, Umagico deputy mayor Peter Lui started an incentive scheme to keep players off the grog. The community raised the money in all sorts of ingenious ways and the players were rewarded for staying straight. So far it’s been a great success and filmmaker Tom Hearn has made a documentary about it which he hopes will lead to other communities trying it out.