With the exciting announcement that ESF Events and the Leeds Rhinos Foundation are offering the Rhinos Challenge Tour Experience at two venues in 2016, clubs have been sending in their fundraising stories in the build up towards the biggest two junior Rugby League festivals in the United Kingdom. The latest club to take on a fundraising challenge are Leeds Rhinos Foundation Ambassador Club Batley Boys, who have been fundraising to send their under 12s team to the 2016 Rhinos Challenge event at Butlins Skegness by completing a 3,560 ft trail up Mount Snowdon.
Batley Boys ARLFC will be attending Rhinos Challenge for the first time in 2016, with their under 12s age group raising a fantastic £1500 to pay for tour places for the players and their families.
The club started their fundraising campaign by doing some of the usual methods of fundraising including some weekend shopping bag packing and club raffles while the players were still involved in the Barla Yorkshire Cup, but after winning the final on 23rd January, the club decided to use their free time before the start of the new season to take on their fundraising challenge in February.
The challenge provided the team with an exciting challenge and an opportunity to bond as a team whilst fundraising at the same time and on the 13th February, the boys backed by a team of volunteers (their leader Andy, coaches Darren, Danny, Simon and Daniel, Ian their driver, and family members Steph, Graham, Tom and Will), set off to conquer the 3,560 ft Snowdon.
The team set off around 11am on the Pyg track reaching the summit at 2.30, where there was around eight inches of snow and a wind chill of -10*c, stopping at the top just long enough to sing their Batley Boys chant and have a photo before the climb back down along the Llanberis Pass.
The boys were sponsored by the sportswear and work wear manufacture Xamax clothing, who provided all 15 kids with a brilliant Snow Coat to help with the icy conditions and through kind donations and sponsors from the Batley Rugby League community have raised around £1,500 to pay for their places at the Butlins event.
Tina Alcock, speaking on behalf of the team said:
"The group are very much looking forward to the challenge, to playing teams they haven't played before, and just having a full weekend of rugby and fun (hopefully) in the sun!
"We are hoping this will encourage more teams from the club to take part next year, especially now we are an ambassador club for Leeds Rhinos too."
Places are still available for Rhinos Challenge this year, with Skegness and Blackpool still open to Rugby League teams in the under 8s to under 12s age group.
Rhinos Challenge Skegness will take place on the weekend of the 13th-15th May, staged at Butlins award winning resort in Skegness with the new Blackpool event taking place from June 17th-19th at Haven's Cala Gran Holiday Park, on location at one of the UK's most popular seaside resorts boasting the Golden Mile, Blackpool Tower, the Pier and the amazing Pleasure Beach Theme Park.
For more information on getting your club involved in Rhinos Challenge visit: http://rhinoschallenge.co.uk/