Scour Tech International behind $10k Coomera Crushers senior rugby rescue

The biggest sponsorship agreement in Coomera Crushers’ 25-year history has saved the rugby club’s senior program from possible collapse – with the family behind the donation finally ready to be unmasked.

Coomera Crushers major sponsors L-R Adam Crampton-Gordon, Chantal Crampton, Beth Crampton and Sanya Gordon, of Scour Tech International.

The biggest sponsorship agreement in Coomera Crushers’ 25-year history has saved the rugby club’s senior program from possible collapse – with the family behind the donation finally ready to be unmasked.

Scour Tech International, an engineering firm specialising in the prevention of soil erosion by flowing water, has quietly donated more than $10,000 to slash player registration fees by around 60 per cent for 50 senior players at Coomera.

Club senior co-ordinator Kym Farquhar said the club had just 10 registered seniors a few weeks ago, with dozens facing financial pressure preventing them from signing on.

The danger was real that the cost of registration would leave Coomera unable to field a first grade side, having most recently returned to the competition in 2023.

This season was saved by the generosity of Scour Tech’s Chantal Crampton, who agreed to subsidise the cost of district and national insurance payments for 50 players.

GCDRU seniors round 10. Coomera vs. Helensvale. 1st grade. 15 June 2024 Coomera Picture by Richard Gosling

The sponsorship has carved $232.50 off the price of playing rugby at Coomera, taking the price per game from $23.91 to under $10.

“It’s the biggest donation to our club I’ve ever seen,” veteran volunteer Farquhar said.

“We had been having a conversation after Rocky Paruru’s memorial about how much it would cost to get two teams across the line with the current player numbers. I gave them (Crampton and partner Sanya Gordon) a figure and they said we’ll help you out.

“I was pretty excited – shocked, like are you guys having me on? They said they were people of their word and we shook hands.

“We’ve been able to put 50 players on the field with the sponsorship and we’ve got 60 players now (in total), so it’s been a huge, huge help.”

First grade coach Gataivai ‘Tiger’ Lama said it had taken some convincing for the Crampton family to make their identities public so they could be thanked.

“They just like to be out (of the spotlight),” Lama said.

“I honestly don’t even know the name of their business. It was at a Thursday training that I met them and I said come meet the boys and they were like no, no, no, we don’t want to do that. We all really had to try to get them down.

“Our captain Leon (Ellia-Niukore) gave an awesome speech and thanked them for what they had done.”

Scour Tech’s Chantal Crampton said she was happy to support the club which had welcomed her family with open arms after their migration from South Africa little over two years ago.

“They are a wonderful club that accepts people from all over the world and it was a no-brainer when they said that they needed some help,” she said.

“They have really taken our family in, especially my son Adam, who battled with moving.

“Rocky took him in and he’s been absolutely thriving at the club.”

Paruru made Adam Crampton-Gordon captain of his year group team before the coach’s death on Boxing Day, 2024.

Now the Cramptons hope their support can help the club welcome others into its rugby family.

They made the donation without the intention of being recognised publicly but Coomera officials insisted that Scour Tech International’s logo find a place on the club’s training shirts.

“I don’t like the spotlight,” Crampton said.

“What we do, we do for our community. I don’t mind sponsoring and assisting in any way I can become what they’ve done for our family far surpasses any blowing wind up our skirts.

“With what they’ve done for my son, it was an absolute pleasure.”

Originally published as Scour Tech International behind $10k Coomera Crushers senior rugby rescue