Canterbury have announced their new ‘Be Part of Good’ campaign as they attempt to get more schools playing rugby.
The rugby kit supplier and manufacturer plan to donate up to 350 full rugby kits across 32 schools where rugby is currently not part of their curriculum.
This weekend sees the start of the Rugby World Cup warm-up games and the campaign will be fully launched at the Aviva Stadium and Twickenham during Ireland and England’s respective games.
At both venues there will be short 30-second videos outlining the importance of rugby as an inclusive game, while the hashtag #BePartOfGood will be heavily displayed during both games.
Brand director at Canterbury Charlotte Cox hopes that the new scheme will help develop the next crop of grassroots players.
“Canterbury is excited to launch a campaign that highlights our ambition to champion inclusion and community in rugby, as well as supporting our goals to develop grassroots players and local teams. By donating rugby kits to schools and providing inspiration and support through the Be Part Of Good campaign, we hope to show our commitment to the game and empower the next generation of players and fans to be part of a game for everyone,” she said.
The kits can be unlocked online with the aid of social media users by using the hashtags #Canterbury and #BePartOfGood on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, with a kit being donated after every 500 posts containing the criteria. Schools may also be nominated on the site https://www.canterbury.com/BePartOfGood, where there will also be a counter as to how many kits have been given away.
Former England international and Canterbury ambassador Will Greenwood believes that this is the perfect time to launch the campaign with the Rugby World Cup building momentum ahead of its opening on September 20th.
“Inspiring the next generation of rugby fans is something I’ve always been passionate about and any barrier to the game which can be removed is good news. Donating kits just before a Rugby World Cup – when kids are most likely to be inclined to take up the game – is perfect timing and I’d encourage everybody to get involved. It only takes one Tweet, or one Instagram post and you’re helping to kit out another child in a Canterbury rugby kit,” he added.
The campaign will continue to be promoted at both Ireland and England’s home warm-up games over the next month as Canterbury hope to help spread the love of rugby across the border.
