A real Aussie Hero

Blog Entry by Peter Lang
Marketing Officer
Penrith City Council

Take a look at the photo on the left, you might not instantly recognise him or even know how he is but let me tell you, this man is a bigger hero than Indiana Jones or James Bond.
He's tougher than a junk yard dog and has more heart than Phar Lap.
So who is this bloke? What's his name I hear you ask?
His name is Ben Felten.
And what makes Ben such a hero is not that he's a very talented and accomplished sportsman who plays cricket for Australia at the highest level and has three world rowing titles under his belt.
I mean those achievements alone are impressive enough. No what makes them even more impressive is the fact that Ben has done them all while being legally blind.
Yep, that's right, Ben's eye sight is classified as B1, meaning he has no vision and minimal light perception only.
Ben also works at Penrith City Council as the Disability Services Officer and does a great job in that role as well.
He'll be the proudest man on the field next Tuesday, December 16th when he strolls out onto Howell Oval in Penrith to take on the might of the English team in a match in the Return Ashes Cricket series. The game starts at 10am and Ben would love nothing more than to make a big score and take a bagful of wickets in front of his home crowd.
So if you can spare a few minutes next Tuesday, perhaps even during your lunch break, why not come down and watch a bit of the action.
The talent and action on display will be simply awesome.
I'll be there...will you?

Celebrating Rugby League in Penrith Valley

Blog entry by Peter Lang

Marketing Officer

Penrith City Council

Well, what an exciting few months its been in Penrith with no less than three rugby league tournaments taking place in our own backyard.

It all 'kicked off' (pardon the pun) in September with the International Masters Of Rugby League tournament for players aged 35 and over. The action then picked up at CUA Stadium with the area hosting not one but two international World Cup games and will conclude this Saturday, November 15 with two finals games of the Defence Forces World Cup, also at CUA Stadium.

I was privileged enough to attend the World Cup game at CUA Stadium in the Chairman's Lounge along with the Princess of Tonga (she didn't know who I was) and the match was certainly a great spectacle to behold. Nearly 12,000 spectators crammed into the stadium and the atmosphere was....dare I say it....simply electric!

The Tongan and Samoan supporters were fantastic in their ....err....'support' for their respective sides and the crowd was awash with a sea of colour as blue and red flags were waved proudly around for the entire match.

Even my wife who accompanied me to the game got in on the excitement and forgot her surroundings for a minute when she spontaneously jumped up during an on-field altercation and chanted 'fight fight fight!' while the Princess of Tonga, NRL Chief Executive David Gallop and a couple of high-ranking policemen, sat in silence behind me.

The noise was also deafening, there was chanting and cheering the entire 80 minutes but my favourite part was when the crowd 'peacefully' invaded the pitch after the final siren had sounded. They couldn't wait to touch their heroes and a few of the players including former Penrith captain Tony Puletua were hoisted high on the shoulders of these spectators who continued to party almost half an hour after the official match had finished.

There's no doubt that events such as the three which have graced our city over the last three months have done nothing but untold good to the rugby league mad and proud community of Penrith Valley.

Let's face it, we love our rugby league out here, in all its forms.

Ahhhh.....too bad there has to be an off season.

Photo (L-R) - Penrith players all taking part in the tournament - Petero Civoniceva, Tony Puletua, Michael Jennings (in an Australian jumper before he was released to play for Tonga) and Paul Aiton.

See Samoa at CUA Stadium

The star-studded Samoan rugby league team will hold a fan day at CUA Stadium in Penrith this Saturday, October 25 starting at 9am.
The team is in Penrith all week to prepare for their World Cup clash against Tonga the following Friday.

For more information go to:-
http://penrith.panthers.com.au/Default.aspx?id=3&ArticleID=872

Celebrate Rugby League

Blog Entry by
Peter Lang
Marketing Officer
Penrith City Council

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love the sport of rugby league. So imagine how 'chuffed' I was when a few months ago my bosses at Council asked me to devise a marketing campaign which would promote three rugby league tournaments, which were all going to be held in Penrith between September and November.
I felt as giddy as a kid in a candy store - the ideas were making my head spin.
After a painful brainstorming session with my supervisor Paul Page, painful because I actually had to use my brain, we came up with, oh ok, 'I' came up with the title 'Celebrate Rugby League' and a very involved marketing campaign consisting of around 10,000 printed flyers, the world wide web and extensive newspaper advertising.
The first tournament has already come and gone and it's where the photo above comes from. The International Masters of Rugby League Tournament bought some estimated 3,000 visitors into the area over a concentrated eight-day period. Open to players over the age of 35 with some well over 60, I had the pleasure of watching several games being played at Jamison Park in Penrith.
All I can say is the sportsmanship shown on the day was something to see and admire. Older players helping younger players up off the ground after a good tackle. The referee openly acknowledging an exciting try, players encouraging each other after a dropped ball or loose pass went to ground. 'Don't worry mate, we'll get 'em next time' one player said putting his arm around the shoulders of his team mate who was cursing the fact that an opportunity to score had eluded him.
There was plenty of passion on show that day.
It's what rugby league is all about and in this tournament - age definitely did not weary them.
There's still two great tournaments to come, the Rugby League World Cup with two games to be played at CUA Stadium in Penrith and the Defence Forces World Cup, also at CUA Stadium between November 4-17.
If the passion, commitment and spirit of friendship in these games even half matches what I saw at Jamison Park that warm 'Spring' day in September, then as spectators, we're in for two fantastic tournaments!
Who said the rugby league season was over, in downtown Penrith Valley, it's just beginning.