GREEN LIGHT
Local election looms for Jamaica star Peltier
WHEN Ross Peltier played for Bradford Bulls, his teammates joked he could end up as the city’s mayor, such was his dedication to the local community.
But it was no laughing matter. It was a passion, one as strong as that of his desire for rugby league.
It is set to be a big year for the Jamaica international (inset)
with the World Cup here in the autumn but he will swap tackle bags for ballot boxes next month in his local council elections.
In the 28-year-old’s own words, he never wanted to be pigeonholed as just a rugby player.
Rather than stand by and do nothing about local housing projects he has concerns about, Peltier will represent the Green Party in Birstall and Birkenshaw in May.
He said: “My mum and dad were both very active in the local community and politics is something I’ve always been interested in.
“The Green Party was the one that aligned most with my political thinking and what I identify with. When the opportunity arose, I thought I should jump at it.
“I’m at the end of a qualification in built environment and civil engineering, and using renewable energy in building practices is something I’m very passionate about. There’s a lot of houses being built in our area using traditional building methods that use up a lot of carbon, and people are fed up of it – it’s a greenbelt area they want to preserve.
“My old team-mates at Bradford used to take the mick and say I’d be Lord Mayor of Bradford one day and this will be a good experience and show me how the whole process works.”
Peltier now plays in League One for Doncaster and as Jamaica’s second mostcapped player, he has seen first hand their remarkable rise over the last decade – culminating in qualification for this year’s World Cup.
“Qualifying was vindication for a lot of us who had been involved for a long time,” said Peltier.
“People saw it as a novelty thing when we started there being a Jamaican rugby team, and we used to get the ‘Cool Runnings’ jokes.
“They didn’t take it seriously but we always did, and now we want to inspire another generation of players.”