March 10, 2012

Media Release

Jockey donation to boost junior rugby in earthquake-hit eastern suburbs

A “significant’ donation by Jockey International will be used to run a series of skills camps for primary school children in the earthquake hit eastern suburbs of Christchurch, with each of the expected 1000 kids also receiving a rugby ball.

The cash donation is a thank you from Jockey International for the support the city has given the Jockey brand over 70 years.

Tim Wheeler, President, International Division Jockey International, said that New Zealand was one of Jockey’s first international licencees back in 1940 and that Christchurch was the manufacturing hub for the brand in this country for 31 years starting in 1952.

“Even though we no longer have a manufacturing base here, Christchurch is still very close to our heart, from both an historical point of view, and also because Dan Carter, a Jockey Ambassador since 2004, lives here.

“When we heard about the devastation to the playing fields, both public and in the schools, in the eastern suburbs, we just wanted to help give something back to a community that has supported us for so long,” he said.

In discussions with the Canterbury Rugby Union, it was decided to invest the donation into a series called ABC4KIDS, which will be run in 30 primary schools over winter. The programme consists of five different modules and is targeted at three different age groups. With some of the bigger schools having more than one group, up to 1000 rugby balls could be given out during the camps.

Hamish Riach, CEO of the Canterbury Rugby Union, said that much work was already going into training instructors to take the different modules over the winter.

“We have had great support from the Canterbury Rugby Earthquake Relief Charitable Trust in helping us buy the necessary equipment to run all these modules and the added bonus is that we have been able to tap into an excellent reservoir of tertiary education students to train as instructors,” he said.

As part of the launch, Jockey Ambassador, Dan Carter, took one group of young players through a module at Queenspark School, Christchurch, early this afternoon.

WHAT IS ABC4KIDS?

ABC4KIDS is the fundamental skills programme. It has been developed to build the foundation and fundamental skills of children aged between five and 12 years and introduce children to a rugby experience.

The programme is structured around the needs of three distinct age groups:
z Children aged 5-6 years Beginning).
z Children aged 7-9 years Learning).
z Children aged 10-12 years Playing).

ABC4KIDS is structured around three separate and distinct programmes:
z After-school
z Holiday
z Rugby Module

By structuring the ABC4KIDS programme around three age groups it is intended that children from 5-12 years of age will be presented with progressive programmes that make the most of their opportunities to learn, play and enjoy rugby.

WHAT IS ABC4KIDS?

ABC4KIDS is the fundamental skills programme. It has been developed to build the foundation and fundamental skills of children aged between five and 12 years and introduce children to a rugby experience.

The programme is structured around the needs of three distinct age groups:
z Children aged 5-6 years (Beginning).
z Children aged 7-9 years (Learning).
z Children aged 10-12 years (Playing).

ABC4KIDS is structured around three separate and distinct programmes:
z After-school
z Holiday
z Rugby Module

By structuring the ABC4KIDS programme around three age groups it is intended that children from 5-12 years of age will be presented with progressive programmes that make the most of their opportunities to learn, play and enjoy rugby.

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