Rugby fans are urged to bleed for England in fresh drive for donors
THE RUGBY World Cup gets underway on Friday when England take on Fiji at Twickenham.
And as they prepare to do battle health bosses are asking the public to roll up their sleeves and bleed for England.
NHS Blood and Transplant has revealed that less than three per cent of people aged between 17 and 70 living in England have donated blood in the last year.
By contrast, 24 per cent of the nation cheered on England during their cup-winning performance in 2003.
NHS Blood and Transplant is calling on 100,000 new volunteers to show their support in a way that really matters; by registering to become a blood donor between August 15 and October 31.
People in Yorkshire are being asked to register as a donor and to book an appointment to donate – to literally #BleedForEngland. These new registrants will contribute to the more than 200,000 new blood donors needed this year.
England World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson says: “I’ve always wanted to give back and now I’m learning about how to support that massive team that was behind us – be a link in a chain that’s going to go somewhere fabulous for someone else. Giving blood is such a great way to do that.”
Jon Latham, Assistant Director at NHS Blood and Transplant, says: “We’re delighted that some England rugby legends have bled for England by making their first blood donations and we really hope they have inspired people in North Yorkshire who’ve never donated before to register to join them.”
We’re delighted that rugby legends have bled for England. Jon Latham of NHS Blood and Transplant