If there's anything a lover of their favourite sport wants to do it's to spread that passion as far and wide as they possibly can.
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First-year Orange Emus prop, Mark Jackson has loved rugby union for as long as he can remember, upholding the spirit of the game wherever he goes.
Jet-setting for a family holiday from July 6 to 13, Fiji is the next place he'll take rugby's core ideals of camaraderie, determination, and unity.
"A lot of the Fijian boys that I've gotten to know throughout the years have really good stories behind them with how hard they worked to get to Australia," Mr Jackson said.
"They'll often talk about how our rugby clubs here have amazing facilities and they love the sport, it's like a religion over there.
"The amount of raw talent in Fiji is unreal, so if we can do something to keep the game rolling, then that's the go."
Mr Jackson's been reaching out to clubs he's connected to, lining the walls of social media with shout-outs for any kit donations amid players.
Between his Orange Emus and North Sydney Warringah "ratties" ties, his rugby reach also extends to Perth Bayswater and Cottesloe clubs in Western Australia through his years of playing.
Which is why the gear has been pouring in, players and the like ransacking their homes and clubs to rustle up any-sized footy boots, jerseys, balls, hats, and more.
Flying the items over to Fiji on Thursday will mark the third time the proud prop has done this.
"I go to where the boys' villages are, where they grew up before moving to Australia, because a lot of them have talked about what it was like stopping footy to work more and provide for their families," Mr Jackson said.
"It can hard for a lot of parents to afford proper gear as well, there are kids over there playing or training barefoot or playing in regular runners, their love of rugby is just that strong."
The first time Mr Jackson rocked up to a local Fijian game, he was on the mainland of Viti Levu in Nada.
Watching from afar to begin with, the memory of what he saw still blows him away today.
"They were playing on this dust bowl of a field and running that hard at each other, it was bloody unbelievable," he said.
"I saw it from a distance at first and said to someone 'geez, these blokes are going hard' and he said 'mate, that's just the women's game'."
Without knowing what to expect during trip number one, Mr Jackson headed out the villages to distribute the donated kit items.
"I didn't want them to feel like we were some charity handing out grubby gear, so it was basically just this 'hook in' approach, grab whatever you need," he said.
That's what the rugby community is like, we all stick together to keep the game rolling.
- Orange Emus prop Mark Jackson on mission to keep spirit of rugby alive.
"Everyone was so grateful, the kids were running around smiling from ear-to-ear with footies, their grandmas whacked the jerseys straight on and were dancing around, it was just the best thing to see."
It was backed by a celebratory evening that featured a roasted pig on the spit; adults drank Kava together while their children sported new jersey looks.
"That's the motivation for me and that's what the rugby community is like, we all stick together to keep the game rolling."
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