Two Props and a Poet sports lunch to raise funds for helicopter service

BUSH poet Murray Hartin will join forces with former Wallaby Tom Lawton to help raise funds for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service at Byron Bay Services Club.

The pair will share the stage with local rugby identity and MC Dave Arthur for the Two Props and a Poet sports lunch on Friday, February 27.

The lunch promises to provide big personalities, rugby banter and a touch of lyrical flair.

Hartin, 63, is regarded as one of Australia’s leading modern rhyming poets, known for blending humour with hard-hitting themes.

His work spans topics from men’s mental health and rural suicide to light-hearted storytelling designed to entertain crowds at sporting lunches.

“I write about my mates and create characters that people identify with in their own circles,” Hartin said.

“When I’m front of a group like this the focus is on entertainment and making sure everyone has a good laugh over a couple of hours.”

Hartin played rugby in Sydney during the 1980s when he met Lawton.

Lawton would go on to play for Australia 41 times between 1983 and 1992.

“Tom is a great mate of mine and he tells wonderful peripheral stories of when the team travelled overseas,” Hartin said.

“They could be gone for months at a time, and it was only the players and about four support staff.

“You don’t have to be a rugby enthusiast or from that era to enjoy the stories he tells.”

Hartin’s poem Turbulence made it into the Top 20 of Australian Country Music charts – a unique feat for a piece of Aussie verse.

He said the chance to help raise funds for the helicopter service hits close to home due to his friendship with Richard Jones, who was chief executive of the operation for almost 30 years.

“He’s a great public speaker in his own right and has done such a wonderful job over the years,” Hartin said. “He’s still involved now and we just want to help raise as much money as we can for people who need it.”

Tickets for the event can be purchased at rescuehelicopter.com.au/events/