Radean Robinson

Jake Colovatti and Radean Robinson look after autistic children and disabled adults in their day jobs

By Gavin Willacy for No Helmets Required

When he’s not representing his country in a World Cup match 10,500 miles away, Italy forward Jake Colovatti splits his days between training with NRL club Parramatta Eels and helping young people. A teacher’s aid at Giants Steps, a school for autistic children and young adults in Gladesville in New South Wales, Colovatti is developing two very different career paths at the same time. And, since last Sunday, he can add international rugby league player to his CV as well. Having first pulled on an Italy shirt in their pretournament friendly with Lebanon in September, Colovatti was thrilled to make his Test debut when he came off the bench in the first half of Italy’s commanding 28-4 win over Scotland. Another victory over Fiji on the same pitch on Saturday will secure Italy a shock place in the quarter-finals for the first time in their 72-year history. “The kids will wonder where I am,” says the 22 -year-old. “Some of the kids know I play at the Eels and some you can have a conversation with. When I get back I will be able to chat with a couple about it. But most of the ones I’m working with at the moment wouldn’t understand. They use these ‘talkers’ where they press on our photos and it says our names. I think a fair lot of them are requesting me: ‘Jack, Jack, Jack’!” Colovatti is not the only Italy player working in the care industry. Radean Robinson, the slender Central Queensland Capras half-back who toyed with Scotland last Sunday, has been a support worker with disabled adults at BigDog (Support Services) in Rockhampton for the past two years. “They took me on board and really balanced me out with my work and footy life. I get a group of people with disabilities and take them out and about, learning life skills. I love it. Just helping people really satisfies me. I think I can do it as a career or maybe help a community on a wider scale.” Robinson was an even later call-up to the squad, only getting the nod when Cooper Johns withdrew. The 24-year-old, whose maternal grandfather hails from Treviso, jumped at the chance. “It’s been incredible,” he says. “I only knew a week before we flew over: I got the call and it all manifested out. My work were pretty understanding.”