INGHAM RUGBY CLUB HELPS TACKLE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUE
A HINCHINBROOK community organisation that provides critically important services for victims of domestic violence has been buoyed by the support of the Ingham Rugby Club’s men and women.
Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre client services leader Mirella Pallanza said the club’s donation of $1500 for safer families was invaluable.
“There are many people who live with abuse in a whole range of ways and seeing sporting clubs stand up to that and supporting that is really empowering for the whole community,” she said.
Cutter’s committee member Cory O’shea said the club raised the money during an inaugural Ladies’ Day that had proven so popular it would likely become an annual event.
That day, August 21, was marred by a fatal accident on the Bruce Highway which prevented two Townsville senior men’s teams from arriving in Ingham for their scheduled games.
Instead, the Ingham Cutters Reserve Grade Men’s side donned their specially designed bright pink kits for a friendly game of rugby sevens.
Mr O’shea, who plays for the senior side, said the club prided itself on its new junior program, with a particular emphasis on girls’ rugby, including U14 and U16 girls’ sides.
“We’ve got a large core of young women and the aim of the day was to celebrate women playing rugby as well as the off-field efforts of the women that are part of our club: wives, mothers, partners,” he said.
“It’s something that we’ve really wanted to do for a long time.”
Fellow committee member Megan Carpenter, who plays in the combined Cutters and Western
Dragons senior women’s team, said sponsors and members of the community had rallied behind the worthy cause, both with sponsorship of the men’s kit as well
as for raffle items.
She said 30 women enjoyed an afternoon of rugby, food, wine and karaoke.
“It was a really nice day.”