A bikeathon organised by the Guernsey Rugby Academy raised vital funds to send Sarnian teams to Jersey for the Junior Siam Cup later this month.
The funds need to be raised because of the uncertainty over inter-island travel links when the clubs were looking to book, meaning that Guernsey Rugby faced a larger than usual bill to get players and supporters to the inter-insulars.
The club has chartered aircraft and ferries to get to Jersey for the Siam Cup fixtures with a day trip organised for the younger players.
Jason Fitton, the Under 13 Rugby Team coach said: “We had so much support from parents and island cycling clubs, many who were parents of our junior team players. The enthusiasm to just turn up and get out of your comfort zone and cycle to raise funds was great to see.”
“We have some very talented young players, who all want to compete in Jersey, and win the Siam Cup end of April. As a club we want children to enjoy rugby, live its values and have rugby as a life long sport in their lives. We continually need to fundraise to support the club and our ambitions. We rely on donations and our generous sponsors to keep playing.”
Kayleigh Knight, mother of one of the U11 players who took part in the bikeathon: “I felt really proud to have been part of the Bikeathon and raising the much needed funds for our U11s squad to be able to take part in the Siam Cup this year in Jersey. It’s so important to keep sporting events like the Siam Cup going and funding is such a huge part of that. The atmosphere on the day of the Bikeathon was brilliant. Lots of sweaty smiles and laughs were had. It was the first time I had ever participated in a biking event and used a static bike in the immersive studios and I really enjoyed it. It was also a great opportunity to get to know the other U11 parents taking part better and I have made some lovely friends.”
Mr Fitton added: “We’re still fundraising and aiming to raise £2,000 from this event alone that happened recently, currently we’re at £1,246 so we’d appreciate any additional support. This event was trying a new initiative and we’re hoping to turn it into an annual event.”
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