• Toll bar sports academy, Grimsby Rugby Club, Great Coates Primary School, Boston Rugby Club Junior Team, Northallerton Ladies RUFC, York RI RUFC, Harrogate Rugby Club Under 16’s gifted professional-grade rugby balls
• Yorkshire clubs received more than 1/5^th of equipment donated to grassroots rugby teams across England, Scotland and Wales
• Honda UK committed to supporting local communities and local sports

Honda UK has donated more than 2,000 Gilbert rugby balls to 30 grassroots teams across England, Scotland and Wales as part of its commitment to grassroots sports.

This includes seven local groups from Yorkshire and The Humber: Toll bar sports academy, Grimsby Rugby Club, Great Coates Primary School, Boston Rugby Club Junior Team, Northallerton Ladies RUFC, York RI RUFC and Harrogate Rugby Club Under 16’s.

The size-five rugby balls were made by Gilbert, the manufacturer that supplies balls for professional teams within the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The local clubs have benefitted from 813 supporter-quality red balls, and 1,217 training-quality white balls.

Newer, more expensive equipment means grassroots teams can welcome more players and participate in more games. It also allows them to save valuable funds that can be spent on other areas of the club.

Over the last month, representatives from Honda dealerships have been personally distributing the rugby balls to teams within their local communities. A combination of local clubs and schools have received the equipment, with men, women, and children from more than 23 counties now having access to the top-of-the-range balls.

The local Honda dealerships are using the donations as an opportunity to foster stronger relationships with their local communities, while also supporting grassroots sports.

The distributed balls were previously used by Honda UK at Twickenham Stadium, where participants set the world record for creating the largest rugby ball mosaic (logo). Comprised of 2,030 red and white balls, it reiterated the car manufacturer’s commitment to sport and community – just one of several new initiatives inspired by Honda’s multi-year deal with the RFU.

Rebecca Adamson, Head of Automobile at Honda UK, said:

“Community sport is so important. It gives people of all ages and genders the opportunity to foster their talents, develop new skills, meet new people, and lead healthier lives. For all of these reasons, and countless others, we are thrilled to support so many deserving grassroots teams in Yorkshire and the Humber.

“At Honda, we believe in the power of dreams, and championing local communities is the best way we can do this. By supporting local clubs, we can give ordinary people the opportunity to pursue something that they love. Our partnership with the RFU demonstrates our commitment to rugby, but it’s our grassroots work that really allows us to make a difference.”