Roxburgh Rugby Football Club has received $1,779.74 for playing uniforms thanks to a grant funded by the New Zealand Community Trust. 

In the grant funding application, the club said support was needed for a number of reasons, including simply to get a team on the field. 

“We have not had a team for over a year but with a recent influx of keen young men we now are in a position to field a team in the South Otago rugby competition. 

“Unfortunately our small cash reserves have dwindled in this time and we need some help with the costs. 

“Living in a low economic area and with the effects of COVID on businesses it is difficult to raise the cash to get a team on the field. 

“The lower we can keep the costs to the players the better chance we have to keep a team. 

“Without the funding we may have to increase the yearly sub to the players which can have a negative impact on player availability. 

“Having only established that we have numbers in the last few weeks the timeline was too short to organise some fundraisers by way of crutching, tailing etc. so any assistance would be most welcome.”

NZCT’s Tanya Piejus says “NZCT is passionate about helping Kiwis take part in and enjoy sport for all the health and wellbeing benefits it brings, so we were happy to provide the funds the club needed to get their new team onto the field, playing and competing.”

The NZ Community Trust, established in 1998, is New Zealand's largest gaming trust with 16% of market share, and distributes gaming funds to communities organisations. 

Local gaming premises such as The Gate, Cromwell and the Grand Tavern, Roxburgh, contributed funds to this round of funding allocation. 

Other organisations to receive funding were the North Otago Lawn Tennis Association ($688.47 for equipment), North Otago Toy Library ($2,609.56 for toys and play equipment), Otago Rugby Football Union ($27,000.00 for salaries for Referee Education Officer, and Community Rugby Manager), and Tennis Otago ($2,500.00 for a contractor).