Two University of Bath students are to feature in the British Universities rugby sevens team at the World University Championships, which get underway in Portugal tomorrow (Wednesday). Izzy Noel-Smith and Natasha Hunt both feature in a ...
Bid for signed England shirt to back Zambia project
Rugby fans have an opportunity to own a piece of sporting history and help a good cause by bidding for an England rugby shirt signed by members of the 2007 Six Nations squad.
And there is also a pair of tickets for the Wales v Australia Rugby World Cup match up for grabs too.
Money raised from both auctions will go towards TeamBath’s Zambia project. A group of University of Bath students travel to Zambia each summer as part of the International Development through Excellence and Leadership in Sport (IDEALS) scheme, working in some of the poorest parts of Zambia to tackle issue like education, health and the economy through sport.
The students need to raise £12,000 each year to help fund the project and money raised through the action of the signed England rugby shirt and World Cup tickets will help fund students who travel to Zambia next summer.
With the Rugby World Cup just around the corner, what better time to try to get your hands on a piece of rugby memorabilia? Members of the England squad signed the England shirt while training for their 2007 Six Nations campaign at the University of Bath.
And if you’d prefer to be there to sample the action yourself, why not bid for a pair of tickets to the Wales v Australia pool match at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday 15th September, kick-off 3pm. The highest bidder will win a pair of tickets for the game. Winners will be responsible for their own transport and/or any accommodation.
Bids can be submitted by emailing Emily Reynolds at ed3er@bath.ac.uk
Emily (pictured above with the signed England rugby shirt), who has just graduated from the University of Bath with a degree in Coach Education & Sports Development and is about to begin studying for a PGCE at the University, was a member of the team that went to Zambia this summer.
During her time in Zambia she worked with children who had HIV or AIDS, as well as with many children whose parents had died of preventable diseases, like malaria and TB. She also ran sporting sessions for children at schools for people with disabilities.
“It was an absolutely incredible experience,” she said. “The enthusiasm and talent of the kids we met was amazing, even thought they had little or no resources.
“If they see a ball, suddenly we had 150 children turn up to do PE and we’d have to run with it,” she added. “It was also incredible how the peer leaders there could turn simple games and ideas into HIV and life skills awareness activities.
“It was an awesome experience and I definitely hope to go back to Zambia soon,” she added.
The IDEALS project operates in partnership with the British Council and the Youth Sport Trust. The University of Bath’s Department of Sports Development is working with UK Sport and five other UK universities – Stirling, Loughborough, Durham, Northumbria and UWIC – on the second year of IDEALS.
Please note, terms and conditions apply for the auctions.
Bids for the signed England rugby shirt close at midday on Friday 28th September 2007.
Bids for the Wales v Australia match tickets close at midday on Thursday 13th September.
Bids can be submitted by emailing Emily Reynolds at ed3er@bath.ac.uk Please make sure you leave a contact phone number so we can get back to you as soon as possible if your bid is successful.
You can check the current status of the bids by checking the IDEALS Project in Zambia page of the TeamBath website.
Winners of the match tickets are responsible for the costs of any travel and/or accommodation, and can collect their match tickets from the University of Bath.
The University of Bath has one of the leading university sports departments in the UK. Under its TeamBath brand, its success is based on the expertise and dedication of staff, and its excellent facilities, used by the community and Olympic medal winners alike.
Members of the media who require further information can contact the TeamBath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd on (01225) 383518 or see the TeamBath website at www.teambath.com
Photos: Top: Emily Reynolds, pictured with the signed England rugby shirt, and images from the most recent Zambia IDEALS project.
Posted: Thursday 6th September 2007