Heartwarming scenes as Aussie artists honour Arrow, ex Wallaby
Jai Arrow was full of gratitude for the rugby league community as he and ex-Wallaby Nathan Charles were honoured with a victory lap ahead of the NRL grand final.
A touching tribute accompanied by some hits from Australian artists took place at Accor Stadium as the NRL world came together to honour Charles and Arrow, who have both been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) this year.
Retired South Sydney player Jai Arrow and former Wallaby Nathan Charles take part in a victory lap. Getty Images
Arrow’s diagnosis was revealed in May, with the South Sydney Rabbitohs helping him to take to the field twice and reach 100 caps before retiring.
Charles announced his diagnosis on Thursday, aged 37.
The stacked crowd at Accor Stadium all rose to their feet and made an arrow gesture in honour of the retired South Sydney star.
The pair then were driven around the sidelines in a small car while Australian artist Amy Shark sang You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Arrow and Charles were clearly floored by the reception as they made their way around the stadium, waving at the crowd and sharing a smile with the fans who have supported them.
Screaming Jets singer Dave Gleeson joined Shark on stage to sing What’s Up before belting out Tina Turner’s The Best alongside Grinspoon singer Phil Jamieson.
The performance ended with the artists sharing a hug with Arrow and Charles.
“Thank you, forever,” Arrow was seen telling Nine’s cameras.
NRL executive chairman Peter V’landys had praised Arrow for unknowingly becoming a leader and inspiration for those who are battling terminal illnesses.
“What Jai Arrow has done is become a leader – and he doesn’t realise he has become a leader,” V’landys told 2GB’s The Continuous Call Team pre-game.
“We’ve had correspondence to say that people who have diseases or a similar diagnosis to Jai with MND ... (their) inspiration is Jai.
“Jai is an inspiration for not only people with MND but people with terminal (conditions). We’ve received messages from people about how he has made them want to fight just like he is fighting.
V’landys added: “Nathan, he was a Wallaby, he is a hero in his own right.
“He had cystic fibrosis since he was a young boy and they didn’t expect him to live longer than 10. He has just been diagnosed with MND at 39.”
V’landys, who had been under fire for failing to lock in an artist to perform pre-game confirmed the money would go towards funding that act this season would instead be donated to children who cannot afford to play rugby league.
A total of $1 million dollars has been donated by the NRL towards that cause.
