A fundraiser event started by Hallamshire RUFC on JustGiving has seen over £2000 raised, with over a quarter of donations coming from shirt sales.
The club-designed shirts will be given out at a charity rugby match on April 26, where four rugby clubs will compete for the new Tom Davies Cup – named after a club member who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease..
He was diagnosed last year at age 29, having played for Hallamshire since shortly after leaving his eight year spell at Sheffield Medics in 2021.
Sam Rigby, 36, the president of the club and organiser of the fundraiser event, said: “The fundraising is an important aspect of it but I think it’s more than that to me. It’s about raising awareness of the condition but it’s also showing to Tom just what the spirit of rugby means and just how much the community and the club is ready to support him.”
Hallamshire will compete in a tournament against Davies’ former club Sheffield Medics, Sheffield Medics Old Boys and his boyhood club Sutton Coldfield on the charity day in April.
50% of funds raised will be directed towards the South Yorkshire branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, with the rest going towards the event itself and Mr Davies.
In a testimonial on the JustGiving page, Mr Davies’ partner Alex Ross said: “Tom was always an extremely talented sportsperson, and he now enthusiastically cheers on the rugby teams who he can no longer play for. It’s incredibly comforting to see how the rugby community and those beyond have gathered around to support Tom and for him to see how very loved he is. I am supremely proud of him and grateful to everyone rooting for him.”
The event is inspired by the Slater Cup, named after former Gloucester and Leicester rugby player Ed Slater, which is competed for twice a season when the clubs play one another.
Mr Rigby added: “I think the best way to sort of honour him and the best way to show him just how much he means is by putting on a big celebration of rugby, a whole day event, chucking the ball around, playing some good looking rugby, some entertaining rugby. To me that’s as much of a gift to Tom as the fundraising is.”
Click here to view and donate to the JustGiving page.