Boots For Grassroots charity making a difference in community rugby

Don't be surprised if the next generation of Vanuatu or Cook Islands rugby players are fleet of foot, have booming punts and can run like the wind.

Last Saturday Wellington-based community charity Boots For Grassroots (B4G) delivered almost 200 pairs of new and used boots to Pango Village fields in Port Villa in Vanuatu to local children representing four different rugby clubs/villages.

As well as fitting out over 10 children's rugby teams with boots, B4G were also able to provide many larger size boots and jerseys to the local Power House Rugby League Club.

The charity, founded early last year by former leading Wellington Premier player and current Poneke Premier team Manager Evan Belford, has partnered with the Chiefs Rugby Academy Vanuatu (CRAV) who organised last week's distribution of the boots and training jerseys.

The boots for this shipment were collected from throughout New Zealand, with Belford asking people to donate boots that would otherwise be thrown out at the end of the season.? Former Hurricane and All Black Filo Tiatia, who currently coaches at Toyota Verblitz in Japan, and King's School in Auckland provided the majority of boots for this shipment to Vanuatu.

The past month B4G has been able to help provide boots to many children and young people, mainly within the Wellington region but also as far north as Opononi in Hokianga and far south as Te Anau in Fiordland.

Overseas, B4G has also sent boots to a village in Fiji as well as to Vanuatu.

Belford says that B4G is always looking for new and used boots and training gear/equipment to help the charity grow, both in New Zealand and in the Pacific Islands.

"The Boots need to be in good condition - they must be wearable, clean, have laces, have sprigs or moulds and not have any holes," he says.

"If people know of any children and families who are in need of some boots (within New Zealand) but unable to afford them, then be sure to let us know and if we have their sizes we can help," adds Belford.

"We have some projects lined up in Cook Islands, Tonga and Samoa which will see B4G helping more young people in the pacific islands and around New Zealand."

Former and current rugby stars who are B4G Ambassadors include Filo Tiatia, Tamati Ellison, Scott Waldrom, Riki Flutey, Pita Alatini, Orene Ai'i, Roy Kinikinilau, Dane Coles and Brad Shields

The charity is not limited to rugby. "We have also had requests from other codes - such as rugby league and soccer football and we are really keen to support them boot up their young people who are unable to purchase boots."

For more information about B4G and to find out how to help visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/BootsForGrassroots

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