Back in June I wrote a piece about a proposed trip to Swaziland with an
appeal to you all for rugby kit that we could take to children who have
quite literally, nothing!
Well it all went ahead with myself, the Chairman of Tavistock Rugby
Club, my wife and children, Jeff Lawson, club Secretary, Steve Luffman,
a first team coach, whose Opticians Practices had been used as
collection points for kit, and Rodney Glanville, our club Membership
Secretary all heading south.
Swaziland is a Kingdom in Southern Africa suffering from an AIDS
epidemic with a life expectancy of 35 where a charity called SKRUM,
registered here in the UK, is run by Michael Collinson and his wife
Linda helping to support children, young people and ‘families headed by
children’ through a health education programme supported by the
promotion of rugby competitions in all the countries schools.
It was very humbling - one little lad even stuck the tops of some old
broken shoes to the top of his feet in an attempt to appear better
dressed and smart – so the kit you gave is to support these kids and
boy did they appreciate it.
We all want to say an big ‘thank you’ to the rugby fraternity who
turned out in force and gave us so much support – from small bags left
anonymously with a pair of boots to the entire Bere Alston RFC kit,
from Paignton and Sidmouth to both Ivybridge and Tavistock Community
Schools down to Saltash in Cornwall - I thank you. It went to the best
possible use.
We are building a relationship with SKRUM and continue to support their
work. We are arranging player exchanges with the Swazi Rugby Union to
build coaching links and with the help if IRB KIT AID we are sending
over more kit. Young players form TRFC will be able to go to Swaziland
on exchanges to coach and support SKRUM.
Ollie Larcombe-Moore and Steve Luffman both trained with the Swazi
National Team and undertook coaching sessions in schools with girls and
boys as did Jeff Lawson, they were teaching children Tag Rugby whilst
SKRUM worked with teachers to promote the SKRUM mantra ‘Pass the Ball –
not the virus’!
I and Tavistock Rugby Club will build on these links with a special
lunch at the club in November when Michael and the Swazi RFU visit
Tavistock for our 1st XV home league match against Camborne RFC – put
it in your diary - come along to a great fund raiser for the good of
rugby and children. You can find out all about SKRUM’s work by going to
www.skrum.org
A big ‘thank you’
Nigel Larcombe-Williams
Chairman TRFC