From Devon to Ghana with love
Withycombe Rugby Club has been working with the Educational Development Projects (EDP) Trust to help youngsters play rugby in Ghana.
At Awutu-Winton Senior High School, students were beaming as they donned rugby kit donated by Withycombe for their first rugby sessions.
The joint effort between the club and the EDP Trust aimed to go beyond the mere provision of sports gear; and to ignite a passion for rugby among the Ghanaian youth.
Max Sayers, a representative of the EDP Trust, said: "Some of the students have never played rugby; some don't even know what rugby is. Then the moment you introduce it, you see a light bulb moment, and they go, 'This is incredible.' Then they'll start running around and have the best time.
"It's not just about playing rugby; it's about improving their lives, enhancing their self-esteem, boosting their fitness levels, and laying the foundation for grassroots rugby in Ghana. I think it's just an amazing thing, so thank you Withycombe so much for this incredible donation."
Having been introduced to the charity by a senior player related to its founder, the club wanted to get involved.
Sponsorship & marketing director, James Tapp said: “They began by building schools and wanted to start a rugby programme and when we heard they had no kit we knew we wanted to help them out. The whole club is on board and the intention is that this will a long-term commitment which we want to build. Just seeing the joy in the pictures which came back to us was a delight as rugby positively influences the lives of these children thousands of miles away. The journey has just begun!”
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