Honouring Jason's Legacy — Vic Masters & Pakari
Official Mental Wellness Partner — Vic Masters Rugby × Pakari
It is with deep sadness, and with enormous pride, that Vic Masters Rugby announces its Mental Wellness Partnership with Pakari — and pays tribute to the man who made it possible.
Our club has lost one of its own. Jason, co-founder of Pakari and a proud Vic Masters player for over 13 years, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. He was a teammate, a friend, and a person who gave more to this community than most of us will ever fully know.
Jason didn't just play rugby. He believed in what rugby could be — a place where people showed up for each other, week after week, through the highs and the hard times. He carried that same belief into building Pakari, grounding it in the Māori concept of pakari — strength and resilience — and in the holistic model of Te Whare Tapa Whā, which holds that true wellbeing means caring for the mind, body, spirit, and community together. He lived those values. We saw it every time he laced up his boots.
A Partnership Built to Support
Vic Masters Rugby and Pakari are united in our commitment to carry Jason's vision forward. Under the leadership and guidance of Brianna — Jason's wife and CEO of Pakari — this partnership remains as strong as ever, and more meaningful than we could have imagined when it began.
Bri has been part of Pakari's foundation from the very beginning. She brings a formidable combination of corporate finance expertise, psychosocial governance, and a deep, earned compassion — forged across five years as a volunteer Ambulance Officer in New Zealand. She knows this work. She knows this community. And she knew Jason better than anyone. We are proud to stand with her.
Pakari on the Back of Our Jersey
Pakari becomes an official sponsor on the back of the Vic Masters jersey — a reminder every time we pull it on that mental wellbeing is part of who we are. The back of your jersey belongs to the person running next to you. The ones who have your back. That's what this means.
As part of this partnership, Pakari will also deliver Mental Health First Aid training to our players — equipping our club with the practical skills to recognise when a teammate is struggling and know what to do about it. This was Jason's idea. This is his gift to our club.
A Foundation Built Together
This partnership didn't come from nowhere. Vic Masters Rugby has been walking this path for years — and Jason walked it with us. Through our Tight 5 Initiative, we have actively supported:
Beyond Blue / Mana Men / Men's Mental Health Week
Every year we mark Men's Mental Health Week with real conversations — not just a post, but players sharing their stories honestly about what it means to still be showing up, still looking after yourself, still finding your people on a rugby field well into your 40s and 50s. The Pakari partnership is the next chapter of that story. And now, it carries even greater weight.
If this partnership means something to you, or you're going through a tough time yourself, our Player Welfare & Mental Health page is there for you. Resources, support contacts, and a direct line to the Tight Five — the people in this club whose job it is to look out for you.
In Their Words
Jason's words — shared when this partnership was formed
"Rugby gave me a place to belong, and Pakari gives people the tools to stay well enough to keep belonging. Being able to bring both of those worlds together for Vic Masters — as a player and now a partner — is something I'm incredibly proud of."
— Jason, Co-Founder, Pakari
"Jason poured his heart into Pakari and into this club. He believed that rugby was one of the best mental health tools there is — that showing up for your team teaches you to show up for yourself. Continuing this partnership is how I honour him. It's how we all do. And I know that with this community behind us, we will carry it forward in a way he would be proud of."
— Brianna, CEO, Pakari
"I've been playing Masters rugby for 28 years. My head says keep going — my body has other opinions, but I've learned to ignore it. What I've also learned, the hard way, is that looking after yourself isn't weakness. It's what keeps you in the game. Jason understood that better than anyone. He gave 13 years to this club and spent the rest of his time helping other people find the strength to keep going. We owe it to him — and to each other — to see this through. Pakari belongs on the back of our jersey. That was always the plan. And that doesn't change."
— Nigel Aiken, President, Vic Masters Rugby
For Jason
Masters rugby is built on mateship. People who show up week after week, not just for the game, but for each other. Jason embodied that more than most. He was the teammate who stayed after the final whistle. The one who checked in. The one who built something bigger than himself because he believed his community deserved it.
We will honour his memory by doing what he asked us to do — look after each other.
Moe mai rā, Jason. Rest well, mate.
About Pakari
Pakari is a locally-owned, NDIS-registered mental health organisation based in Bayswater, Victoria. Founded by Jason and Brianna and inspired by New Zealand's holistic mental health model, Pakari provides counselling, Recovery Coaching, Support Coordination, and Mental Health First Aid training. Now led by CEO Brianna, Pakari continues to serve individuals, families, and communities with the same compassion and commitment Jason built it upon.
www.pakari.com.au
About Vic Masters Rugby
Vic Masters Rugby is the home of Masters-grade rugby in Victoria, Australia — keeping the spirit of the game alive for players over 35.
We play.
We compete.
We look after each other.
www.vicmastersrugby.com.au