With the highly anticipated rugby season Grand Final approaching, NT Rugby, St John NT, and local rugby clubs are reinforcing their commitment to player and spectator safety by emphasising the critical importance of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at sporting venues across the Northern Territory.
The push for increased AED availability follows a life-threatening incident in January, when beloved South Darwin Rugby Club figure and former Fijian 7s international coach and player, Setefano “Sete” Cakaunivalu, suffered a cardiac event at the Warren Park clubhouse after returning from his A-Grade game.
His teammates and South Darwin Rugby Club President, Tauraa Exham, responded quickly, performing excellent CPR until paramedics arrived, and Setefano was transported in a critical condition to Royal Darwin Hospital for treatment.
Fortunately, Setefano has now recovered from the scare, but Matt Kaye, Caretaker CEO of NT Rugby, said the absence of a nearby AED raised awareness about the need for the life-saving devices at their sporting facilities.
“NT Rugby has mandated defibrillators at every rugby club across the Territory in response to Sete’s incident,” Mr Kaye said.
“Through the St John NT Heart Grant, we acquired eight AED kits and training for members across the Territory, which are headed to clubs in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine.
"We have now seen first-hand that these tools and skills are invaluable to the safety of our players, staff, and spectators, and through this partnership with St John NT we will ensure that every rugby venue is equipped to respond effectively to cardiac emergencies.”
Andrew Tombs, CEO of St John NT, added, “Cardiac events are an intense, often upsetting thing to experience, and I commend the extraordinary response of the South Darwin Rugby Club members, who saved Sete’s life.”
“We’re grateful to have the opportunity to support the rugby community in their AED acquisition and are committed to working alongside them in future to further enhance their emergency preparedness.”
Reflecting on the experience, Mr Cakaunivalu said, “I’m so thankful to the people around me that day for their quick action – without them, I probably wouldn’t be here.”
“The mandating of AEDs across all rugby clubs is such an important step, and it’s great to know that the safety of our players, coaches and fans is the Union’s top priority. It's reassuring to know that this has been sorted in time for this weekend's Grand Final. It's one thing to play the game, but ensuring everyone is safe should always come first.”
St John NT aims to increase the number of public access AEDs by 10 percent across the Territory, made possible by the support of the Northern Territory Community Benefit Fund.
For more information on the Heart Grant go to www.stjohnnt.org.au/heartgrant.
