Rusty makes the team
The Far North community is being encouraged to get on board and help a Kerikeri teenager represent the Far North after he won selection into the New Zealand Cross Whites under-16 side to tour Australia later this year.
Russell ‘Rusty’ Benseman was named in the national squad which is set to play games in Sydney in September against Australian, Asian and South American teams, and then return in December for a similar tournament in Melbourne.
The 14-year-old has been playing footy since he was 6, and has played for the North Force provincial age grade rep side for the past three years (he is currently in the under-15 team coached by Keri FC’s Dan Johnston) and was chosen as the Cross Whites goalie for the squad ahead of older, more experienced players.
In dedicating what mum Tanya described as his “every waking minute” to his beloved sport — through training and/ or playing seven days a week — as well as complying with the parental insistence that he needs to stay on top of his homework, there’s been no time for Rusty to find a part- time job in order to fundraise the $4000 needed for gear and travel expenses.
Already it appears raising the money for the coming tour will be tougher than the selection process. As well as being kept busy chauffeuring Rusty to various fixtures, catering to the boy “with hollow legs” and the myriad of uniform maintenance and other tasks that come with supporting a child’s sport, Tanya has created an account on the Give a Little website and is hoping people will give whatever they can afford to help get him overseas.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s only $1, every little bit helps,” she said. Another event to aid Rusty’s fundraising goal is being organised at the old Kerikeri Domain on Thursday, June 18, from 7.45-8.45am. There, participants in the Kick Start Rusty’s Soccer Career event will be asked to pay $5 to try to kick a ball past the young goalkeeper, with those who succeed winning a prize.
Meanwhile, anyone wishing to contribute to Rusty’s campaign can make an online donation at http:/ /givealittle.co.nz/cause/rustysoccergoal