After a lightbulb moment from our Founder Aaron Beesley, Rugby Against Cancer was born in May 2018
On 11th November 2020 we became officially registered as a charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales #1192284
The rugby family is a tribe. A bond that cannot be broken between people who genuinely love, trust, care about and look out for each other. Rugby Against Cancer is here to support that family.
Cancer does not discriminate and can affect anybody, so we want to be there for those that need it. As a charity we harness the power of the rugby community to raise funds and awareness to enhance the lives of those living with cancer.
Over £30,000 has been donated by Rugby Against Cancer to help the lives of those affected by cancer in the UK.
The Team
The charity is run by a team of volunteers who have a passion for rugby and have all been personally affected by cancer in their own lives or friends, family & teammates. Each individual offers their time to help grow, manage and coordinate the charity so we can run events and give back to the community.
Alongside our dedicated committee, we have an extended family of professional ambassadors that play or coach rugby in the UK, each of whom support our vision and values. We also have a range of ways that clubs and grassroots players can be involved, and have a club partner and local ambassador scheme which is currently in its early stages.
“Rugby is a game about teamwork and support. To go forwards, you must go backwards”
Our social media followers are an extension of our team, we are active on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and regularly post updates about the charity especially during event build-ups and to highlight the work we are doing. Our website has undergone a recent revamp and is filled with necessary information to allow our audiences to connect with the charity, keep updated and request support.
Throughout the year we host a range of rugby match events, fundraising challenges and seasonal opportunities for the rugby community to get involved in raising funds for the charity and helping spread awareness across the UK (and more recently abroad!)
The Rugby
Our rugby team plays in a range of matches including 15s, sevens and social 10s, both men and women. We aim to allow new players to represent the charity at each event and individuals can reach out to be added to our database for future fixtures. If you fancy joining the team, email your interest to play@rugbyagainstcancer.com
Rugby Against Cancer is currently growing to become bigger and better now we are a registered charity – we can then provide more support to the rugby family. Keep your eyes peeled for exciting news!
“You’re probably wondering how this all started?
I have been playing rugby for over 20 years, playing in Portsmouth for 6-7 of those years and I love every minute of it. Within Portsmouth and the surrounding area there are six rugby union sides: Southsea Nomads, US Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Gosport, Havant and Fareham. Plus, a league side – US Portsmouth Seahawks. A lot of teams in a small area.
Personally, I know five people who have or have had cancer that are involved in these local clubs and have seen how it has affected those people, their teammates and those that know them. I have also had very close family and friends who have had cancer and seen first-hand the effect that this awful disease has on them, their family and their friends.
With that in mind, I was thinking how to raise valuable funds for local and national charities to help those people. And it just clicked. RUGBY!
The rugby family truly comes together to support each other. It is amazing how much they pull together to help others when in need. So it got me thinking could I use rugby to help raise funds for these amazing charities?
Well the answer was YES!
I decided to call on the rugby family to help me raise as much money for these amazing charities so they can continue their amazing work.
Starting as just a small idea for the local clubs in Hampshire, it is already growing outside of the area and it is exciting just how big this could get!
With the rugby family’s help, we want to spread awareness that there is support, you’re not alone and the rugby family are here for you.”
Aaron Beesley
Founder, Rugby Against Cancer<
Please check out the rest of our website for more information about us, how you can get involved to spread the RAC message and take a look at our stash page!
Follow us on social media channels for our latest news or get in touch at letstalk@rugbyagainstcancer.com if you are looking for support or would like to get involved.
Our inboxes are always open.