It’s ‘Touch, Pause and Engage’ for Mental Health awareness
MEMBERS OF Wexford Wanderers Rugby Club had a scrum with a difference recently when they took part in ‘Scrum With Us, an event aimed at raising awareness of the Ask campaign and funds for It’s Good to Talk.
An initiative of club member Chris Walsh, the group pushed a makeshift scrum machine 95km around Wexford in three days, taking in the four main towns and promoting the message of positive mental health. Approximately €2,400 was raised through bucket collections and online donations to the event.
On the first day, the group pushed the machine from Wexford to New Ross - a distance of 34km. The group arranged to meet members of New Ross Rugby Club at Ballinaboola and they took part in bringing the machine, and the message, to their own town. The group completed the first leg of the trip in six hours.
On the second day, the group travelled to Gorey where, with the help of local club members, they set off through the town, along a 34km trek to Enniscorthy. Again, the trip took six hours.
Finally, on the third day, the group set off on the last leg of the trip, a 24km push from Enniscorthy to Wexford. The final leg took approximately four hours to complete. The group took part in a bucket collection along the quay and main street before heading back to Park Lane for refreshments.
Chris said he was delighted with how the event had gone, pointing out that one of their main concerns had been how their presence would affect the roads and other motorists. But he said that there was minimal disruption except in areas where roadworks were ongoing. He said the support for the event was fantastic, pointing out that the rest of the clubs in the county rowed in behind them, joking that it was the only time you’d see them on the same side of a scrum!
He explained that the orginal plan was to have a number of walkers and three pushers but this changed almost as soon they got out the gate of the club.
‘We had the hill, from Park Lane up to the Co. Hall and onto the main road from there and that push took five of us, so we stayed at five for the day. It went very well and we even got a bit of a run at it when we were going downhill.’
Funds raised will go to It’s Good to Talk but the club is hoping to increase the sum with one more event - a table quiz at the clubhouse on Friday, January 19 at 8.30 p.m. There will also be a raffle with a wide selection of prizes. All money raised will be added to the Scrum With Us fund and donated to the charity.