Saints Wheelchair Rugby coach Jamie Higgins is confident a new partnership with the town’s Grosvenor Centre will help the Club reach even more new players in schools across Northampton.
The local shopping centre has today, in line with National Fitness Day, committed to support Saints’ wheelchair rugby side – with Grosvenor Shopping Northampton’s logo featuring prominently on the back of the community team’s jerseys for the next two seasons.
Saints will also hold first-team player appearances at the shopping centre, but most significantly for Higgins, the partnership will see the town’s retail complex support the growth of the Club’s wheelchair rugby schools programme.
“This funding from Grosvenor Shopping Northampton will go a long way to keeping our programme going, and will enable us to raise further awareness in schools across Northampton,” he said.
“This funding from Grosvenor Shopping Northampton will enable us to raise further awareness in schools across Northampton.”
Jamie Higgins, Saints Wheelchair Rugby head coach
“We have had a lot of success so far with it too. We’re going to be helping one of our local schools – where we have held 12-hours’ worth of coaching – into a wheelchair rugby tournament later in the year, and we have had a number of players that have gone on to join the club off the back of our sessions too.
“We have delivered into six schools so far this calendar year. With this funding, we’re now aiming to get into 14 by the end of the year.”
Members of Saints Wheelchair Rugby attended the shopping centre on Wednesday to engage with the local community and answer questions for anyone interested in joining them.
James Roberts, centre manager at Grosvenor Shopping Northampton, added; “On a personal level, I’m a huge fan of rugby and so to have the opportunity to support and be associated with an established top-flight side like Northampton Saints for the next two years is something I’m excited about.
“Beyond that, and far more importantly, we will be supporting the future development of the Club’s wheelchair rugby school programme.
“It’s grown so much over the last few years and the team there do a lot of invaluable work in the community, giving local kids an opportunity in sport when perhaps they think they do not.”
Saints Wheelchair Rugby are constantly on the lookout for new players – young and old, experienced and amateur – with any level of disability. The club operates an adult (18+) and youth (8-17) team with their weekly training sessions delivered by qualified Wheelchair Rugby coaches.
To find out more about Saints Wheelchair Rugby please CLICK HERE, or to join now get in touch with Jamie Higgins on [email protected].
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