Darwin Dragons hold suicide awareness round in last home fixture of season
It’s set to be a massive weekend of Top End rugby union with Darwin hosting its suicide awareness round and the 10th Slugger Cup. Read all about it here.
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Round 13 of the DRU is set to be a busy one with Darwin Dragons’ Suicide Awareness round and the Slugger Cup between Palmerston Crocs and South Darwin taking place.
In what is the side’s last home fixture, the Dragons are holding a special fundraising weekend for Lifeline.
“This round and week is to help raise awareness around mental health for everybody in the club from under-5s to seniors, and committee members to volunteers,” club president Jordan Lewis said.
“Through the week we’ve been holding psycho-education chats at training with our teams in which people from the club, and other services have spoken.”
A topic close to home for the club, Lewis said the club was comprised of many different people from all different backgrounds and socio-economic status and varying levels of vulnerability.
“In 2018 two our players, a senior and a junior, took their lives,” she said.
“That was and still is something that’s affected all of us at the club.
“So we have made it part of our mission to create a safe place and provide safe people for members of our community.”
Lewis said she hoped this could become something larger than just the Dragons as mental health doesn’t discriminate.
“A goal is to actually have members from other clubs in the competition come down and join some sessions so they can do similar things at their own club.
“It’s about prevention and making the topic not so awkward.”
The Dragons have created special jerseys and training tops for the round that will be auctioned off following the weekend’s action, with all proceeds going to Lifeline, in addition all the money from the gate will also be donated.
Elsewhere out at Moulden the Crocs and Rabbitohs will battle it out at the 10th Slugger Cup.
The cup, named in honour of beloved mate and dual club man Adrian ‘Slugger’ Graham has been contested since his passing in 2015.
South Darwin currently hold the cup having defeated Palmerston at Rugby Park in 2024.
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