THE Redlands Rugby Union Club under 16 team are looking for players to top up their squad ahead of the 2020 season.
It comes after a highly successful 2019 campaign which saw the then under 15 team take a tour to Argentina for a handful of matches using money raised through things like bottle donations, barbecues and meat tray raffles.
The team ended up with $60,000 in the kitty after months of fundraising, with $10,000 alone coming from the Containers for Change scheme at Advanced Metal Recyclers.
Coach Brendon Winslow formed the partnership with the Capalaba business as well as the organisers of Sirromet Winery's A Day on the Green, who allowed the players to collect cans and other recyclable items after concerts.
The team were joint winners of the sports award at Redland City Council's Australia Day ceremony in January and are now helping the current crop of under 15s with fundraising activities to raise money for a tour of Fiji.
Winslow said the A Day on the Green event could run for up to six hours, meaning there was plenty of cans and bottles left over by concert goers for the team to collect.
"Prior to this partnership being created, all recyclables were taken away and dumped with the general waste rubbish," he said.
"Now the recyclables at each event are separated by cleaners and the Muddies under 15s players and parents.
"So far this year they have raised $10,000 already, which puts them in great steed for the rest of the year's fundraising.
"Everyone's a winner here including the environment, A Day on the Green team, Sirromet Winery and of course, the Muddies u15s.
"It's important to remember though that this money raised isn't gifted and is earned in an often filthy environment, much like the depths of a rugby maul can be."
Muddies president Keith Taylor said the club was going well and invited people to experience the culture first hand.
"Friday nights for example, we have hundreds of kids running around our fields chasing a rugby ball and it really does warm the cockles of one's heart. It's great to see," he said.
The under 16 team trains on Tuesday and Friday nights, with matches played on Sunday.
You can register your interest by emailing admin@redlandsrugby.com.au.
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