These boots were made for running

Joseph Lilo-Sosefo just wants to run fast when he plays rugby and thanks to Hawke's Bay Today Bring yer Boots - he will.

The 7-year-old is one of the first youngsters to benefit from the cross-code initiative - launched last month with Magpies first five-eighth Ihaia West donating a pair of his playing boots. The campaign is geared to encourage people to donate their old sports boots for children needing some sprigged footwear this winter.

The Camberley School pupil has rugby in his blood with his cousin, Tom Iosefo, playing sevens for Samoa, but the Hawke's Bay youngster says he wants to be more like All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.

He may be able to, thanks to his new yellow Nike boots he got yesterday.

"I like yellow it will make me run fast. I like to run fast."

His mother, Faye Lilo-Sefo, said it was thanks to Hawke's Bay Today's campaign her son could get his first pair of rugby boots.

"I think it's a huge benefit because Camberley fits into the low socio-economic area and I see a lot of struggles with the kids in the neighbourhood and I know that a lot of them need to be out and to be physical ... and I know a lot of them will benefit from this type of thing."

Joseph was going to be trying out his new boots last night playing for his team Tamatea against the Tiki team.

Camberley was one of several schools who came in to pick up boots for some of their pupils. St Patrick's School principal Jurek Wypych said seeing some of his pupils getting boots was going to be a huge boost for their morale.

"A lot of these kids who aren't involved [in sport] is the cost and boots is one factor."

Flaxmere Primary School teacher Haisley Robson said he noticed children who exercised also did better at school.

"It helps give them identity, too - you see their self-confidence grow."

Sport Hawke's Bay commercial manager Kevin Murphy said the campaign was a great initiative and they would look to help distribute boots to more schools throughout the region.

Almost 200 pairs of boots were given out yesterday but more donations keep flooding into Hawke's Bay Today offices in the region.

Hawke's Bay Today editor Andrew Austin said it was not too late to donate.

"We continue to call on our readers to support this drive and donate their old sports boots to the youngsters out there who need them."