Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Rhinos Foundation are giving their support for our Armed Forces, serving at home and abroad, starting with Armed Forces Day celebrations at this Friday’s game followed by a Rugby and Cheerleading Camp for children at Paderborn Garrison in Germany.
Last year coaches from Leeds Rhinos Foundation travelled to Germany to deliver a rugby skills camp and following on from the success of this, the charity has been invited back to deliver an extended programme.
The week long rugby camp, which is aimed at children aged 6-14, will be delivered by Leeds Rhinos Foundation coaches, who will be teaching aspiring rugby stars new skills over a fun and active week.
New for this year, Leeds Rhinos Foundation's Dance Development Officer, Nicola Booth, who is also the Dance Captain for the Spencer Properties Dance team who perform at all Rhinos games, will be taking the popular dance camp to the army barracks and teaching the young dancers new routines and cheerleading moves.
To help continue the development and legacy of the game once the camps are over the Leeds Rhinos Foundation will also be supporting the rugby coaches based on the camp with a two day Coach Education programme, which will be taught by Community Manager Leon Crick and Leeds Rhinos legend Keith Senior.
Senior will then be a guest speaker at a fundraising event, which is open to all who are based at the garrison, and will speak about his life in Rugby League as well as his recent ventures into the desert in aid of Walking with the Wounded. The money raised from the event will be split between Leeds Rhinos Foundation and Walking with the Wounded.
Speaking about the upcoming camps Leon Crick said:
"We are pleased to have been asked once again to deliver our rugby camps at Paderborn Garrison. For many children, last year's camp was their first opportunity to play rugby league, so it was great to be able to go there and introduce them to the game and for it to be such a success. We got fantastic feedback and have even seen families from the base attend Rhinos games this season. On behalf of Leeds Rhinos Foundation we would like to thank everyone involved in arranging the camp and the fundraiser at Paderborn Garrison."
To see a video from last year's camp click here
As well as helping the families of those serving in the Armed Forces abroad with the delivery of the Rhinos Camps, Leeds Rhinos will also be honouring service men and women at home with Armed Forces Day celebrations at this Friday's game against Salford Red Devils at Headingley Carnegie Stadium.
As a curtain raiser to the Super League game the QinetiQ State Of Origin fixture will take place and there will also be volunteers to collect for the two charities – the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, who are a grant making charity and provide valuable funds for naval and military charities that work with families and veterans, especially those experiencing difficulty with child support, ill-health, old age or hard times, and also UK4U, who deliver Christmas boxes to Servicemen and Servicewomen deployed on Operations at Christmas, whether in the Royal Navy, Army or the Royal Air Force, as a gift from the nation to thank them for sacrificing Christmas with their families and loved ones. To find out more about these charities visit them at www.uk4u.org and www.rnrmc.org.uk