A junior rugby team is now playing in brand-new kit thanks to local housebuilder Bellway.
Kings Norton Rhinos Under 13s received a donation of £1,400 from the housebuilder – which is building new homes at The Oaks in Kings Norton – and the money funded new kit for the team to start the season.
The U13 Rhinos are part of Kings Norton RFC, which was founded almost 100 years ago and now has members aged from six upwards. The club is based at Hopwood Park, off Ash Lane, Hopwood.
Bellway West Midlands is building a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes at The Oaks, located off Parsons Hill, approximately four miles from the club’s ground.
Jake Morris, lead coach for the U13 Rhinos, said: “All the boys on the team are 12 years old from Kings Norton and surrounding areas, from different schools and backgrounds.
“I reached out to Bellway as I know they were building in the local area, and I felt it important that all the boys had a matching unified kit. We wanted to enable everyone to look the same, play as one and enjoy themselves, no matter their background.
“The boys were really excited when they got the kit and were inspired to come back and play rugby again after a turbulent year of cancelled training due to Covid restrictions.
“We are really pleased that Bellway was able to support us. It’s great to see a large housebuilder support the local community in which they build.”
The team is run by four coaches, including Jake, all of whom are volunteers and also have sons playing in the team.
There are 24 members of the U13 Rhinos and around 230 players in the Kings Norton RFC junior section. Each team is run entirely by volunteers.
Marie Richards, Sales Director of Bellway West Midlands, said: “We are pleased the team were happy with their new kits and excited to start the new season.
“It has been a rocky year for lots of young people involved in clubs such as this one, being unable to be involved in group activities due to Covid-19 restrictions. So we are happy these kits will enable them to come together and play as one again.
“Clubs like this one rely on funding and donations and are run entirely by volunteers, so we are glad to be able to show our support.”
Bellway is selling the final nine homes at The Oaks, where prices currently start at £257,500 for a two-bedroom house, with other three and four-bedroom properties also on the market.
For more information about the properties available at The Oaks, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/west-midlands/the-oaks or call the sales office on 0121 756 2091.
Captions:
- The Kings Norton Rhinos showing off their new kit, featuring Bellway West Midlands sponsorship