Queen’s University Belfast Rugby Football Club and Cooke RFC have both been shortlisted in the Health & Wellbeing Award category for SONI (Electricity System Operator for Northern Ireland) and Ulster Rugby’s Real Rugby Heroes – Game Changers’ bursary fund. Cooke RFC have also been shortlisted in the Community Club Award category.

The fund is intended to reward the efforts of clubs and volunteers throughout Ulster who have embodied the spirit of community rugby by keeping their players and the community engaged throughout the pandemic, from championing health and wellbeing to keeping kids and families connected to the game off the pitch.

The bursary is an extension of the SONI Real Rugby Heroes initiative which has sought to reward volunteers for their invaluable contribution to the domestic game in Ulster for over five years. Last year SONI repurposed the programme to offer over 20 bursaries to clubs that switched their focus to supporting the community around them during the initial stages of the pandemic.

Submissions for the three categories so far have been outstanding. During the pandemic, Cooke RFC organised a contact-free collection for the local food bank in the club’s car park. Members donated money and food items and in total, 446kg of food was collected.

This activity not only helped to feed the local community, it positively impacted the mental health of club members by creating a sense of togetherness and generosity. The collective effort really helped to keep the club’s spirit alive during a very difficult time.

Cooke RFC’s social committee also arranged for members to complete a walking and running challenge. In total, members of the club walked over 3000 miles collectively and managed to raise funds for the installation of floodlights on its premises.

Real Rugby Heroes

A total fund of £3,000 is available; tiered in three bursary levels of £1,000 each for the following categories:

Category 1– Real Rugby Heroes. Game Changer – Community Club Award.
Category 2 – Real Rugby Heroes. Game Changer – Keeping the Kids Involved.
Category 3 – Real Rugby Heroes. Game Changer – Health and Wellbeing Award.

Alan Campbell, Managing Director of SONI, said: “We’ve been inundated with worthy submissions for our Real Rugby Heroes – Game Changers bursary programme. This is a real testament to the positive impact that Ulster Rugby’s clubs have been making in the community during these most challenging of times, and we are very much looking forward to seeing who the public will select as finalists.”

The much-needed funds are intended to support clubs with the anticipated expenses of a post-pandemic return to activity.

Barry Willis, Rugby Operations Manager at Ulster Rugby said: “We have had a tremendous response to the Real Rugby Heroes – Game Changers bursary programme. From delivering food parcels, to arranging Zoom workouts, our clubs have been actively supporting their communities and keeping people across Northern Ireland connected during the pandemic. We’re excited to see which of the clubs shortlisted will be chosen as finalists.”

SONI is responsible for the safe, secure, and reliable supply of electricity into the heart of communities across Northern Ireland. Currently, SONI is developing a greener energy system which will enable the grid to handle 95% of renewable energy at any one time.

For more information on SONI visit: www.soni.ltd.uk or follow on twitter: @soni_ltd and Facebook: @SONIElectricityNI