Russell Packer is not your average UNSW student. For a start he juggles his MBA studies at the Australian Graduate School of Management with a professional NRL contract with the Wests Tigers. But this is not the most remarkable thing about Packer, and nor is it his imposing build.
In 2014, Russell Packer spent a year in prison after being convicted of assault. In 2019 he is well along the path to completing his MBA, with excellent results, and has capped off the year by being named the Male Academic Player of the Year at the Rugby League Players' Association Awards.
In his former life, Packer drank 12 to 18 beers a day, a habit he started at just 12 years old. Now he wakes up at 4:30am to study, drinking homemade kombucha, until his two children wake up and he makes them breakfast. It is a phenomenal transformation.
After his release from jail, Packer was struck by the fact that he had no work experience or qualifications outside of rugby league. He enrolled in one subject at the University of Wollongong while contracted to the St George Illawarra Dragons to see how he would cope. He found that he thrived in the university environment and made the leap to enrol in a Bachelor of Commerce.
After graduating on the Dean's List, he was hungry for more and began working towards his MBA. When he transferred to the Wests Tigers, which necessitated a move to Sydney, Packer spoke to Marina Go, who was the chair of the Tigers board at the time. He knew that Go had herself completed an MBA at the AGSM and asked for her support and advice, which she was happy to provide.
While he might not be an average student, Packer is certainly an excellent one. Along with fellow Tigers player Robbie Rochow, who was also named in the Academic Team of the Year at the awards, he is a member of UNSW's Elite Athlete Program, which provides support and flexibility for elite athletes to balance sport and study.
It has been a tumultuous journey for this determined and talented star, but his path to redemption has been sensational to watch.