Russell’s road to redemption

Russell’s road to redemption

One of Foxton’s favourite sons returned to his hometown last week to share his incredible story of struggle, success, fame, failure and, ultimately, redemption.

Russell Packer went well over time when he was speaking at Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom at the invitation of The Horowhenua Company’s BA5 group, but it didn’t matter because everyone was deeply invested in his talk.

Introduced by his former Manawatū College schoolmate, Irene Wakefield, he received a round of applause from a sold-out crowd for what was an open and honest insight into how he achieved his childhood dream of playing professional rugby league, and how he has faced down significant challenges, including spending a year in an Australian prison for assault.

Listening to his talk it became clear that Russell Packer is much more than his mistakes. He’s a loving husband and father, a philosopher, a university graduate, a businessman, and now a brave and captivating public speaker.

He didn’t shy away from his shortcomings or owning his mistakes. Instead, he shared candid insights into the events that shaped his life and the strength it took to overcome them. 

Growing up in Foxton, a strong competitive streak saw him give anything a go. He had a natural aptitude for rugby and league. When playing college rugby, curiosity saw him join a league training, catching the eye of former Kiwi international Dave Lomax, who was at the time the player-coach of the champion Levin Lions.

Not everyone supported his decision to play league, which only steeled his resolve to keep playing, something Russell has had described to him as “oppositional defiance disorder”.

Before long he was playing schoolboy rugby on Saturday and senior club league on Sunday.  Although just 15, at 6ft 2 (190cm) and 115kg, he could handle himself.

Things happened pretty quickly after that. In 2005 he made the NZ U16 team, debuted for Central Falcons in Bartercard Cup, and in 2006 he made the Junior Kiwis.

In 2007 when he was just 18 he got a call from Ivan Cleary to join the NZ Warriors, making his NRL debut a year later.

On the outside, the appearance of winning made everything seem amazing. But on the inside, Russell says he was a “ticking timebomb”.

By 2013, things began unravelling. While he was poised to join Newcastle Knights in Sydney, he was arrested and charged with assault after an incident in November that left a man with fractured facial bones. On January 6, 2014, at just 24, he was sentenced to two years’ prison.

“I didn’t think I would be going to jail,” he says.

He would serve more than a year of the sentence. To say it was tough on him and his young family is an understatement, and he will never forget the people who supported him through it.

And so began his incredible story of redemption, leading to him graduating from university with a degree in business management, resurrecting his league career with St George Illawarra Dragons, then West Tigers, and playing league for New Zealand again.

Russell, 35, is a proud family man, is well-read and well-educated, and helps derive understanding through philosophy. He draws on some of the great philosophers and often quotes them in his talks, but he’s got some of his own that help to drive him.

“Adversity shaped me. Reconnection saved me. Purpose drives me,” he says.

“We don’t need to be perfect . . . comparison is the thief of joy.”

He often looked towards a group of Manawatū College students who were listening to the talk.

“We just need to live with connection and courage with our kaupapa and our dreams, because when we turn these into actions we maximise our potential and create a new reality.”