A major day of fund-raising at Jersey Rugby Club has brought in a bumper crop of cash for an Island charity.
Jersey Action Against Rape (JAAR) was the beneficiary for last weekend's charity day, which was based around Jersey 1st XV's Greene King IPA Championship match against Bedford Blues. The RFU sanctioned a one-off strip in the JAAR livery of purple and white, which was worn by Jersey's players, with the limited edition shirts auctioned off after the match.
JAAR was founded in January this year with the aim of preventing and healing the trauma of rape and sexual assault, supporting those who have gone through this ordeal, and their families, and working to educate the public and raise awareness of the issues involved.
Not only did the Club deliver on the day, winning a thrilling game - featuring seven tries - by 34-27, but additionally a number of fund-raising initiatives throughout the day raised £10,457.41 for JAAR.
Alick McIntosh from JAAR said: "We are overwhelmed by the wonderful support shown to us on Saturday by Jersey RFC and their supporters. It was a hugely successful day and sends a very powerful and positive message to survivors of rape and sexual assault in Jersey. We are enormously grateful to everyone involved."
Jersey Head Coach Harvey Biljon added "There was great support for this event from all the players in the squad - they really bought into the message that JAAR is getting across and felt they could play a small part in helping the charity to make an impact. Our supporters definitely got behind the event as well - there was a great atmosphere at St Peter, and we were thrilled with the result, both in terms of the win against Bedford and in raising more than £10,000."
A small number of the limited edition JAAR shirts, produced by JRFC kit supplier Kukri, are still available for purchase. These are available on application to the Club Shop with a minimum price tag of £50. Call (01534) 499929 to check opening hours.
