STINGZ™ limited edition rugby jersey on sale for NHS charity
STINGZ™ is extremely proud to announce the launch of one of its most special Rugby jerseys to date, which will be offered for sale to raise both awareness and funds for the NHS in North Tyneside and Northumberland.
Wallsend RFC’s official away playing jersey for the forthcoming season, custom-designed by STINGZ™, will be made available to the wider public on a limited basis, to raise money for Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Bright charity.
The idea behind the limited-edition jersey, dubbed the “Wallsend NHS Jersey”, was devised by STINGZ™ and Wallsend RFC, as a gesture of respect to honour the hard work and dedication of the NHS workers on the frontline battling the COVID-19 outbreak.
All profits from the limited edition replica away playing jersey, together with a specially-designed training t-shirt and hoodie, which has official endorsement from Northumbria Healthcare, will be donated to Bright – the trust’s registered charity that funds a wide variety of projects to benefit patients, staff and people living across North Tyneside and Northumberland.
Brenda Longstaff, head of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Bright charity, said: “We are immensely proud that the NHS logo will adorn the new kit and are delighted that STINGZ™ and Wallsend RFC have decided to raise money for our Bright charity.
“This is an unprecedented time for the NHS and our teams across North Tyneside and Northumberland are working incredibly hard to go above and beyond the call of duty to respond to the increasing demands on our service.
“Communities pulling together to support one another has been a powerful and uplifting part of our response to this pandemic as a country and this is an excellent example of this happening right here.
“While funds raised will make a massive difference to our patients by improving their experiences of receiving care, and have a positive impact on our staff and volunteers, we hope this partnership will also boost the team on the field too.”
The Wallsend NHS jersey, training tee and hoodie, will be available to purchase direct from Wallsend RFC on their website www.wallsendrugbyclub.co.uk/nhs
Orders can be placed for a limited time only, with the online shop open until June 30th, 2020.
The replica Wallsend NHS jersey will be available to purchase for £49. A replica training T-shirt in the same design will also be released, costing £29, and limited edition hoodie, which will be worn by the Wallsend coaches, can also be purchased for £48.
This is a particularly poignant partnership for STINGZ™ co-founder, Ernest Stobbs, who is a Wallsend lad, and who is extremely proud to, not only work with his home Rugby club, but also help raise money to support vital NHS projects across the Northeast.
He said: “In the middle of designing Wallsend RFC’s new home kit, we understood there was a requirement for an away kit. I came up with the idea of donating the playing kit with the NHS logo on the front, as a way to show our appreciation for the NHS and everything they are doing for the people during these difficult times, not only in the local community, but nationally.
“After numerous conversations with Wallsend RFC, we decided to do something we have never done before, which is to make our rugby shirts available to the public. While our original intention was just to show our gratitude towards the NHS, we decided that maybe we could go one step further, and raise vital funds for the NHS and its charities in the process.”
Mr Stobbs added: “During these unprecedented times we all have to do our bit to pull together. To know that the profits raised from the STINGZ™ apparel will stay within the Northeast and benefit the people of Tyne and Wear and surrounding areas, is important to me.
“We have all been touched by the enduring efforts of the NHS workers, putting their lives on the line to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. I think most of us will know someone who has been affected by this disease in some way, and if we can raise some money that can help those NHS workers, and support their families, then it is the least we can do to say thank you.”
Director of Rugby at Wallsend RFC, Peter Hamil, said it was an honour to help frontline staff during these difficult times.
He said: “Helping such dedicated, hardworking people like those who are working on the frontline is a great honour.
“A lot of people are going through tough times at the moment, so to help our brave NHS workers, is something we jumped at the chance to support.
“It has taken a lot of careful planning by everyone involved, and hopefully we can raise a lot of money, with every penny of profit from sales going straight to the NHS charities.”
Mr Hamil added: “I am immensely proud to put our name to this venture and I feel our journey as a club is really starting to gain momentum, not just in providing a place for people to enjoy the great sport of rugby, but also in giving back to those who need our support in difficult, uncertain times.”
Wallsend is a major rugby club from the Tyne & Wear area and boasts an extremely rich heritage in the sport. Established circa 1881, Wallsend RFC adopted their iconic green and gold colours following the amalgamation of Swan’s, Vicker’s, Hawthorn Leslie’s and Readhead’s to create the “British Shipbuilders”. These colours will continue to feature in the design of the club’s 2020/2021 season home kit. However, the special NHS away kit release will feature the iconic blue and white colours of the NHS, and will proudly display the logos of the charity and NHS trust it will raise funds for.
Wallsend RFC is the latest rugby club to partner with STINGZ™, alongside the Jamaica Rugby League National Team, who have qualified for the Rugby League World Cup in 2021, as well as the Serbia and Kazakhstan national Rugby Union teams and other high profile clubs around the world.