Updated ,first published
The NRL will throw Jai Arrow the “world’s biggest birthday party” on July 12 when his former team South Sydney play Newcastle at Accor Stadium, asking supporters to bring donations for MND charities instead of presents.
Arrow, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and forced into retirement last month, flew out of Sydney on Friday to spend a week at SHA Spain, a wellness retreat tucked into the Sierra Helada hillside on the Mediterranean Sea.
Arrow told this masthead his schedule is “flat out”, with the resort offering everything from saunas and massages to the more complex hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cryotherapy and photobiomodulation red light sessions.
On Tuesday, Arrow underwent “intermittent hypoxic therapy” where he inhaled alternates of low (hypoxic) oxygen and high (hyperoxic) oxygen.
But as much as Arrow is in Spain for the health treatments, he’s predominantly there to escape.
“Essentially, I was told about retreats and thought it would be a great idea to learn about certain things like diet, different medicine and to be honest, to get away from reality for a bit before I come home and get ready to face the music and get into extensive treatment,” he said.
The party for his 31st birthday next month takes inspiration from Paul “Fatty” Vautin’s “World’s Biggest Barbeque” in 1993, and was conceived of at a meeting on Tuesday between rugby league powerbrokers Peter V’landys, Andrew Abdo, South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly, Arrow’s agent David Riolo, and Clint Newton of the RLPA.
“We will throw the biggest birthday party in the world,” V’landys said. “It will be a huge occasion with the whole game involved. Don’t bring presents. Bring a donation.”
When Arrow returns from Spain, his fight against MND continues. On top of the treatment, Arrow is also gearing up to raise awareness about MND and now, to attend the party in his honour.
Along with the NRL’s planned events for next month’s clash against Newcastle, South Sydney’s round 15 fixture against the Broncos is being targeted as a significant occasion given Arrow made his NRL debut with Brisbane in 2016.
“What’s next is pretty much what I’m doing right now to continue and inspire people with this disease, however that may be, and to continue to fight as best and as long as I can,” Arrow said.
“My sole focus is to be around for as long as possible for my friends, family and most importantly my fiance and to watch my daughter grow. That’s what drives me and of course my stubbornness to prove people wrong.”
V’landys said the NRL was still working on a “Jai July” concept but will start with the birthday party.
“This is a classic case of the game uniting behind our own. We are a family … We have our differences in rugby league, but we never have our differences when one of our own needs our help,” he said.
“I want to complement the South Sydney club for everything they’re doing. Jai’s manager David Riolo is very passionate. We are working closely with him and Souths and the RLPA …
“We are working on many other ideas such as the ‘Jai July’ concept. He needs our help and he’ll get it.”
“It’s wonderful. I don’t expect it of the game, but I know it’s there in the game with other clubs and the fans,” Bennett said.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got one common interest. Whether you’re a fan of Manly, or a fan of South Sydney or whatever, [it] is the game itself. We love the game and we love the people that play it, and Jai has been one of those guys that’s been a pretty outstanding player without blowing the lights out.
“But he’s the type of guy that rugby league people like and love because he does his best every time he goes out in the footy field. There’s never been any fanfare and fuss around Jai Arrow, so I’m sure that’s how [fans and rival clubs] all feel. They want to give something to his future.”
