Bunnings is celebrating ten local rugby clubs chosen as the latest recipients of the Bunnings Rugby Assist program.

Each club will receive $30,000 in Bunnings products, materials, and labour support to upgrade their facilities and enhance their impact within the rugby community.

Bunnings Rugby Assist acknowledges the service rugby clubs provide to their local areas.

With help from their local Bunnings teams, this year’s recipients will use the support to renovate or improve their facilities.

The 2024 recipients are clubs from Canterbury, Counties Manukau, East Coast Bays, Mid Canterbury, North Harbour, North Otago, Northland, Ngāti Porou East Coast, Southland, Whanganui, and Waikato.

One of this year’s recipients, Oxford Rugby Football Club (Oxford RFC), aims to make rugby accessible to everyone.

Recognizing the impact of rising living costs, the club has introduced free sign-ups for players aged 5-18, offering complimentary mouthguards, socks, t-shirts, and team photos.

They also provide senior players with a cooked meal after each training session and a roast after every home game.

Club secretary Shara Kelsey-Ross said, “Oxford is a small rural town with a population of less than 3,000 and our club is a central part of this tight-knit community.

Our weekly dinners after training can often be the only nutritious meal of the week for some of our members."

New Zealand Rugby’s General Manager of Community Rugby, Steve Lancaster, expressed his enthusiasm for the program, saying, “Bunnings Rugby Assist is a chance to celebrate these clubs and ensure they can continue the important work they are doing."

Bunnings NZ General Manager Melissa Haines added, “Bunnings is honoured to work with clubs making a positive difference in their communities."

Rugby legend Ian Jones congratulated the clubs, saying, “It’s incredibly fulfilling to support this initiative that highlights the vital role of grassroots clubs in Aotearoa."

This year marks a milestone, with Bunnings Rugby Assist reaching $1 million in contributions over four years.

The 10 Bunnings Rugby Assist 2024 clubs that will each receive $30,000 worth of Bunnings products, materials and labour support are:

Provincial Region: Rugby Club

Canterbury: Oxford Rugby Football Club 

Counties Manukau: Waiuku District Rugby Football Club​ 

Mid Canterbury: Hampstead Rugby Club​ 

North Harbour: East Coast Bays  

North Otago: Excelsior Rugby Club​ 

Northland: Mid Northern Rugby Football Club 

Ngāti Porou East Coast: Tokomaru Bay United JAB​ 

Southland: Pioneer Rugby Football Club Gore​ 

Waikato: Southern United Rugby Football (SURF) club Tokoroa​ 

Whanganui: Ruapehu Rugby & Sports Club​ 

Article added: Monday 09 September 2024