STARS A-LYNE TO HELP
Reece and Rash are role models
REECE LYNE says Marcus Rashford’s free school meals campaign shows the impact sports stars can have in the community – and he should know.
The Wakefield centre, 27, was last year given the inaugural RFL President’s Award, chosen by Tony Adams, to recognise his voluntary work at the Wetherby Young Offender Institute.
He has spent lockdown working on ways to expand that mentoring role, while talking openly about his battles with anxiety and mental health and also fundraising for a local nineyear-old boy who lost a leg.
Lyne, 27, has followed Rashford’s work closely and believes his community-focused attitude is common in rugby league.
He said: “It’s amazing what he’s been doing. It shows that sports people can have that impact, be looked upon as role models and have a positive effect on young people’s lives.
“He has the platform, but he doesn’t have to do it, so it was great to see the change he made. Footballers can be portrayed as selfish but the flip side is stories like this, and there are a lot of sports pros out there doing good things.
“The majority of rugby players you come across are down-to-earth lads from working class, family backgrounds.
“You often find that they want to put back into their community or local club, and there are plenty of players that have been doing stuff for charity across the game.”
Lyne says being recognised by former England captain Adams – the current president of the RFL, whose charity Sporting Chance has worked closely with rugby league – was amazing and humbling. And he had no hesitation in organising the sale of players’ shirts to raise funds for Hull lad Max Clark, a keen gymnast and dancer who had a leg amputated last month after being hit by a motorbike.
Lyne added: “He’s from East Hull and it happened on the fields not far from the school I went to, so it was where I used to hang around.
“It was such a shame to see a young lad lose a leg and I wanted to do something to help.
“We got some old Hull FC shirts from me and some ex-team-mates to raise some funds – it beats them staying in a cupboard somewhere.
“It’s been good to speak to the family and see some videos of Max in good spirits.
“He’s even been back doing some gymnastics and acrobatics.
“I think the whole community of Hull has rallied round.
“A local taxi firm put some stuff together and I saw ex-hull coach Lee Radford had been round to deliver something. It’s good to see all that.”