Central BOP junior rugby chairwoman Selena Syme says the junior rugby kids are the ones missing out after a trailer full of rugby equipment was stolen from the Rotorua International Stadium.
Central Bay of Plenty Junior Rugby has been blown away with generosity and support after an estimated $15,000 worth of uninsured equipment was stolen.
Chairwoman Selena Syme said they had received offers of fundraisers, help and sponsorship from around the country, including as far away as Christchurch.
She said a Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology student had offered to make them a new trailer and help with fundraising.
Syme arrived at Rotorua International Stadium to set up for the Saturday's games a little after 7am but was shocked to discover the large white trailer full of gear for the junior teams had been taken.
The stolen trailer was similar to this one. Photo/supplied
"Someone had unscrewed the gate hinges and taken the gate off to take the trailer."
The trailer had the Central Bay of Plenty Junior Rugby logo on it and contained the pads that go on the bottom of the goal posts as well as things like the rope for the sidelines.
"It's not worth anything to anyone if they don't have these specific goal posts. We had to get the pads specially made. We can't just replace them," Syme said.
"We've got semifinals and finals coming up. We're just gutted.
"It's so disappointing to know our own community would take from our junior rugby players."
The stolen goods meant Syme had to quickly rearrange the junior games.
Some were sent to be played at Whakarewarewa Rugby Club while emergency pads were brought over from Waikite Rugby Club for one of the fields in use at the stadium.
"We've been blown away by the number of people willing to get stuck in and help on what has been a trying weekend for us."
She said, after an incident like this, you lose faith that there are good people out there, but to have so many people reach out, and take the time to put in money and effort, meant faith in humanity had been restored.
The trailer and gear was not insured because it was relatively new.
"This season is the first with that trailer and gear. All up, what there is for us to replace would be about $15,000 worth," Syme said.
"We're just in panic mode. They weren't insured, we'd only just got funding to insure them."
Syme said the rugby club was also embarrassed because a visiting rugby team from England was meant to be playing some games over the weekend. Now they will be using old, ripped pads for the games.
"It was meant to be a real highlight of our calendar."
Roughly 1000 children play at the international stadium each weekend and Syme said they were the ones missing out.
"Some of these kids look forward to the rugby season all year. This is what they do. This is what they have.
"It means we can't buy things we need like hit shields and tackle bags. It also means One Foundation, which donates money, won't be about to give money to other people. We'll be asking it for something we already had."
Syme said she had reported the stolen items to the police and was waiting for CCTV footage to be processed.
The trailer is a white closed-in trailer with the Central Bay of Plenty logo on the side and registration number 4L918.
