Off to France for amateur games
Locals to play in amateur Rugby World Cup
The Te Awamutu Sports squad received their jerseys and kit last week before flying to France on Tuesday for the Mondial Rugby Amateur. Representing New Zealand, the side will compete in the amateur Rugby World Cup which runs from tomorrow until September 30.
Addressing the players, Te Awamutu Sports patron Lou Brown said don’t forget the sponsors, coaches and everyone behind the coaches — the volunteers — “but most of all enjoy yourselves”.
“You’ve been given the opportunity as a team and as a group to go away and represent not only New Zealand and our club, but everyone else that is interested in sport in New Zealand.
“It is a real honour and a privilege for you all to go away. You want to build on this because you’ll make relationships over there that will stay with you for the rest of your life.”
The trip has been more than two years in the making and has seen the players raise over $250,000.
“There would have been over 3000 proposals and emails that have gone out to businesses. There’s been a lot of generosity from people that don’t mind supporting something that they believe in,” Te Awamutu Sports head coach Travis Church says.
“We’ve had fundraising events here and it felt like the whole town turned out.
“We’ve done a lot of steam cookers and a lot of hāngı¯. We actually had the All Blacks named here and had a fundraising event here that night which was pretty special.
“Then the All Blacks came back and our mate [Ian Foster] donated [a special bench] to us which was another fundraising event. So there’s been a lot going on.”
Church thanked all of the supporters from Hamilton to Auckland, from torohanga to Te Kūiti and even as far as Queensland.
Many family-owned businesses and whānau themselves have sponsored the players.
Church says he is thankful for everything the community has done to support them in this emotional journey.
“Everyone that cares about the game. There’s a lot of bad spotlight around rugby but it’s you people that continue to come out [and support us], that don’t let people’s opinions change how we feel about developing
our game,” he says.
“At the end of the day, this is about our community, it’s about our club, it’s about our town, it’s about our people and it’s about our country — Aotearoa.”
Led by captains Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong (on-field), Dillon Martin (attack), Niah Church-Jones (defence) and tour captain Stacey Daniel, the Te Awamutu team will hope to manage what their junior counterparts achieved — bringing home the silverware.
“Our management will make a Facebook Messenger group and add everyone into that group to update you. Through photos and through moments.”
All matches will be streamed on Eurosport and can be viewed live at the Te Awamutu Sports clubrooms.