Bowral Rugby Club players have shown solidarity with a rugby players in Fiji.
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The club has donated its old Bowral Blacks jerseys to Navauvau Rugby Club players for an upcoming rugby 7s competition in Fiji.
Bowral club member and Oxley College teacher Nick Wansey delivered the jerseys during a mission trip to Fiji with his students last week.
Wansey said the trip was an eye opened, and he observed a big difference in resources between the Bowral and Navauvau clubs.
“There’s a vast difference in resources. They train on a paddock with no posts, and only a few of them have boots,” he said.
“They occasionally play in competitions, and they have to borrow money to play.
“It’s sad because they have this love of sport and they haven’t got the facilities to enhance that.”
Fiji has a proud history of rugby league, as well as a record of achievement with rugby sevens Olympic gold medalists.
This has been achieved with minimal resources.
Wansey said made him realise how lucky to Bowral was to have access to as many resources as they needed.
“We have amazing facilities, as many balls as we want. They only have one ball yet their skills are amazing,” he said.
“There’s so much talent there. Everyone in the village loves rugby and they’re just so proud of their team.”
Wansey hopes to continue to support the Navauvau Rugby Club.
He is currently seeking football shorts, as many of the players do not own a pair.
He is also looking for donations to transport the rugby gear and assist the team in building a new rugby field, as well as those who have contacts with transport companies.
They only have one ball yet their skills are amazing. There’s so much talent there. Everyone in the village loves rugby and they’re just so proud of their team.
- Bowral Rugby Club member Nick Wansey
“It’d be wonderful to form a relationship with this club,” he said.
“If anyone would love to help out [with donations], I’d love to guide it.
“There’s now two Bowral Blacks clubs in the world.”
Email nick@redcourt.com for more information or to make a donation.