Help us carry on our winning ways - support ROI AIMS 7's teams!

This year I am a dual manager/coach for the Royal Oak Intermediate School AIMS rugby 7's squads. In September, we will be taking down 2 squads - 12 boys and 12 girls - to continue our proud record of achievement at the New Zealand-wide intermediate age competition. Our girls team has managed to win the competition 5 out of the last 6 years, including stunning back-to-back victories the last two years. Our boys team have managed to win the gold once before, and last year made an incredibly proud showing to earn a hard fought 5th place across NZ.

I work at a South/Central Auckland school with some amazing children, who face adversity, show resilience, and overcome challenges every single day. In order to attend this event, our akonga and their whanau need to fundraise a large sum of money. For each team, we require $5,000 to cover travel, accommodation, food, koha for helpers, and staff cover costs, as well as any incidentals encountered along the way. Normally we have numerous community and school fundraisers in order to reduce these costs, however through numerous bureaucratic and administrative initiatives, these are no longer available to us. As a result, the fundraising schemes we have access to are reduced. We are still involved in sausage sizzles, bake sales, community appeals to businesses and sponsorship, however we are always in need of extra support. Without extra fundraising, more money will need to come direct from theirs and our own pockets (we already have an expectation that each participant will have to pay, but given the hardships, we try to reduce this as much as possible).

The hard work, commitment, and passion shown by these young 11-13yo athletes and their whanau is a credit to the community and the values we place within NZ society. These students begin training for this squad the previous year, and have official training at least twice a week right through, as well as individual training, and regular holiday training (they have 5-6 'mandatory' training over the two week school holidays). These tamariki put their name forward and commit to any and all fundraising opportunities, and know what a privilege it is to be part of such an awesome experience, as well as understanding the financial pressure and strain it can place on their whanau.

Any assistance and support you can provide is greatly appreciated and I know the squad who get to attend will be incredibly thankful for your patronage. Thank you in advance for whatever you can find to support us, even if it is just goodwill and encouragement...however money talks.