An unusual match in England this week will affect players 6 000km away, right here on our doorstep.
An unusual match in England this week will affect players 6 000km away, right here on our doorstep.
In a first of its kind, two British schools, Tonbridge School and Kirkham Grammar School, will play a benefit rugby match with the proceeds donated to the Graeme College Scholarship Foundation.
The Foundation supports rugby players at the school in difficult circumstances.
The match will be played on Wednesday 16 October at Ribby Road Kirkham Grammar School, with the kick-off at 2:30pm (UK time) with live scores available on Twitter (@KGSrugby). This is also the first time the schools will meet on the field in a rugby match.
Kirkham Grammar School has ties with Graeme dating back to 2007, when they played Graeme on their South Africa tour. Subsequently the schools' first-team coaches Aled Trenhaile (Kirkham) and Pierre Jacobs (Graeme) established a rugby player exchange programme.
Jacobs said Kirkham Grammar School teacher James Walker is the driving force behind the school's support of the Scholarship Foundation, as well as being the master-mind behind the benefit match.
“Kirkham Grammar School's support has allowed first-team captain and centre Gordon-Wayne Plaatjes to spend 2013 in (Graeme College hostel) Grant House,” said Jacobs.
Kirkham's rivals, Tonbridge School, also have strong ties with Graeme.
A former Tonbridge School first-team rugby coach and house master of the school's Judde House, Graeme Gales, coached Graeme's first-team rugby coach Pierre Jacobs. This was in 1997 during his year in South Africa on a teacher exchange programme.
“Graeme Gales and the men of Judde House at Tonbridge School have raised a significant amount in support of the Scholarship Foundation. This has afforded first-team prop Siyasanga Mthathi the opportunity to spend 2013 and 2014 in Grant House,” said Jacobs.
Sean Krige, a friend of Pierre Jacobs, made a generous private donation to the scholarship which allowed first-team flank, Ethan September, to spend 2013 in Grant House.
“This match is testament to the unique bond shared between rugby players, coaches and supporters worldwide,” said Jacobs.
“We at Graeme College would like to express our sincerest appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to Kirkham Grammar School and Tonbridge School in the UK for planning to play this benefit rugby match in support of our Scholarship Foundation”.
The Graeme Scholarship Foundation was born out of a concern for the well-being of the first rugby team when it was discovered that many of the players face difficult challenges in their daily lives.
Jacobs said the Foundation aimed to create a sustainable fund that would allow them to cover the expenses of pupils identified as having talent and potential who find themselves in difficult circumstances. The fund would allow them the opportunity to stay in the school's boarding establishment, Grant House, where their basic would be met.
Jacobs said they also aimed to help players become positive role models in society and their own communities "through rugby”.
The players who received scholarships from the Scholarship Foundation were selected for Eastern Province Country Districts in 2013. Gordon-Wayne Plaatjes was also selected for the Craven Week team and Siyasanga Mthathi and Ethan September were selected for the Academy Week team.
Walker said, “I am hugely excited by the Tonbridge fixture. First, because it is being played for a great cause and second, because it should be a great spectacle for all spectators.”
Walker said the fixture would be a unique clash of strong schools' teams from the North and South of England.
"It is very rare for schools of this nature to meet outside of the sevens circuit,” Walker said.
Gales said, “When Pierre (Jacobs) told me of the circumstances of some of his first-team rugby players, I spoke to the boys of Judde House and we immediately started fundraising to support them. The Judde House boys and their parents have been very supportive of this initiative and deserve to be commended for their extraordinary efforts.
"We look forward to the benefit match between Tonbridge School and Kirkham Grammar School 1st XVs, as we believe it is for a worthy cause.”
Plaatjes said: “For schools and individuals to sponsor boys whom they have never met but only heard of their difficulties and struggles is very humbling. It proves that there is hope and sport can bridge that gap.”
Another Graeme first-team player, Ethan September, said, “The benefit match between Kirkham Grammar and Tonbridge School is an awesome initiative from the two schools. They are going out of their way to play a match over and above their normal fixtures in order to raise funds for us.
"We would like to wish both the schools' first rugby teams all the very best for the match and thank them for their generosity.”
