Givealittle page to help Whangārei schoolgirl get donated rugby gear to Africa

Whangārei schoolgirl Jacqui Cameron, 13, wants to send rugby gear to Mozambique, and now a givealittle page has been set up to help get the gear to the African country.

A Whangārei schoolgirl's hopes of sending rugby gear to Africa for a Mozambique women's rugby team have been boosted with a givealittle page set up to help get the equipment there.

Student Jacqui Cameron, 13, is all about encouraging girls to play rugby. So when she and mum Andrea came across an advertisement a few weeks ago for a Mozambique women's rugby team needing donations and gear, the Kamo High School student wanted to help and swung into action.

"I'm a supporter of trying to get women's rugby up and going and all the girls joining
rugby," she said.

"We had a look and watched a video. There was just lots of girls and all sorts of people running around and having fun but they were playing in mud and they didn't have a lot of objects to use.

"They had a rugged rugby ball, they didn't have any clothes or mouthguards or headgear so I thought I could help them out and sponsor them and give them things they need."

So the 13-year-old, who plays rugby for Marist and coaches under-5s and under-7s, sent a message to ADEDAR, an organisation to develop rugby in the African country, which posted the videos.

In three weeks she has collected more than 100 jerseys from the Kamo Rugby Club and Marist Rugby Club, lots of rugby balls, mouthguards and other gear. But they need help to get it to Mozambique.

"We were a bit naive in thinking it wouldn't cost that much to send. We had no idea. It's about $1800 to get it there," Andrea said.

After the story appeared in the Northern Advocate earlier this week Andrea said there had been plenty of offers to help so she had set up an official givealittle page.

• If you would like to chip in, go to https://givealittle.co.nz.