For the second year running, Burntwood Rugby Club President Bob Osbourne held his President’s Day in support of Help for Heroes, the charity organisation set up to help wounded members of the Armed Forces.
After a well-attended, full day of activities at their Sportsway HQ, players, spectators and volunteers combined to raise over £5,500 for the charity.
Resident football club Burntwood Dragons FC opened proceedings with a series of junior soccer matches. They were followed by the spectacular arrival of the match balls for two rugby games courtesy of The Black Knights – the parachute display team of the Royal Artillery. Despite the strong winds, all four parachutists made pinpoint landings on the main pitch to present the match balls to team captains Kenny Adams and Matt Bray prior to two rugby matches between Burntwood and Help for Heroes select sides.
The salute was taken by local Lichfield and Burntwood MP Michael Fabricant.
The Help for Heroes sides were made up of ex-servicemen, servicemen and members of the emergency services. Burntwood provided a veterans team for the first game and then a side largely based on the successful first team squad for the second game. Each side wore specially designed shirts for the occasion as did the match officials who were all from the Staffs Referees Society.
In the interval between the rugby matches the youngsters from the host club and the Dragons Football Club took centre stage with their versions of a Navy Gun Run. The teams manhandled training equipment over walls and under nets to provide some high octane entertainment for the large crowd.
First honours went to the Dragons U13s team but rugby club pride was restored when the U15s squared the contest.
The day’s events were rounded off by a football match between Burntwood Dragons senior side and Hamstead FC followed by a disco in the clubhouse.
BRUFC President Bob Osbourne thanked all those who attended, donated and volunteered on the day to make it such a success.
Among those attending were Richard Nadin (RFU Council Member for Staffordshire), Dave Ainge and Elfyn Pugh (SRU Past Presidents) and Dave Davies (SRU Comps Committee Chairman).
