Rugby boot recycling

Rugby boots are an essential part of the game but, at the rate kids grow, often they are only used for one season and then tossed aside.

With many South Waikato families having two or more children playing rugby or rugby league at the same time that means an unwelcome kick in the wallet for many parents who have to fork out more money each season to buy new ones.

Sport Waikato’s South Waikato District coordinator Lisa Mansell is planning to change that by starting up a South Waikato Rugby Boot Recycling initiative which will run until the end of April.

The idea behind the initiative is that families will donate boots their children have grown out of to other children in need.

Mansell said the boots will be available free of charge as a way of helping to reduce the financial strain

‘‘Our babies grow out of their boots so fast and they have barely been used.’’

sports can put on families.

‘‘Usually families in the district have two or more kids playing and they have got to pay memberships, buy boots, mouthguards, and head gear if they need it so there is a lot of expense,’’ she said.

‘‘Junior rugby in Putaruru is $20 for one child and that doesn’t include accessories so imagine if you had three or five kids playing.’’

‘‘A little pair of branded boots can cost between $40 to $60 and that is just for a four year old. Our babies grow out of their boots so fast and they have barely been used so I am sure there are heaps of families out there with little rugby boots they could donate to families that need boots,’’ she said.

She said boots of all sizes were welcomed.

‘‘I will have three drop off points. In Tokoroa that will be at Sport Waikato, In Putaruru at Laser Plumbing, and in Tirau at the I-SITE,’’ she said.

‘‘I have still got to catch up with the district’s clubs but at this stage if people are wanting boots they can come into Sport Waikato in Tokoroa in Swanston St and pick them up.’’

Mansell said the idea came from Putaruru’s Kimberly Crocker who trialled it locally last year.

‘‘It went really well so I wanted to build on that and open it up to the whole district,’’ Mansell said.

‘‘My workmates will probably be like ‘gosh Lisa, what are you up to now?’ but I can always take any boots that people don’t collect to the clubs until someone wants them,’’ she laughed.