Year 12 student Connor Bland was inspired to start a collection of used boots to send to Fiji after hearing stories of children playing rugby barefoot using a coconut or a can for a ball. Within days of his appeal to his fellow rugby playing teammates, Connor received donations of not only boots, but also clothing and rugby balls. Within two days he had two crates of boots, and now has collected 85 pairs of boots, 95 jerseys, 68 balls plus numerous gear bags and other rugby related equipment!

Initially Connor thought the boots would be distributed to one club in the Sigatoka region on the island of Viti Levu where his family is from, but the volume of kit that he has received means he will also be able to donate some of the gear to a local school that lost most of its buildings in a fire recently.

Congratulations to Connor on this wonderful initiative, and all those who donated and helped with preparing the kit!