Former NRL stars to strap on ice hockey skates for Matt Clark Charity Shield

A parade of former NRL stars including Tim Brasher and David ‘Wolfman' Williams will be trading in their footy boots for ice hockey skates as part of next month’s Matt Clark Charity Shield.

Grant Toulmin from the Ice Dogs celebrates a hat-trick while repping a special Warringah Bombers jersey in honour of the Matt Clark Charity Shield. Picture: Peter Podlaha

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A host of former NRL stars have put their hands up to take part in next month’s Matt Clark Charity Shield as the annual ice hockey event continues to go from strength to strength.

The shield is held in honour of Matt Clark, who played for the Warringah Bombers Ice Hockey Club and national youth team before he died of leukaemia in 1995.

The 17-year-old’s last wish was his friends and family would find a way to raise money for research into finding a cure for the disease.

Former NRL star David Williams wearing a Warringah Bombers jersey in support of the Matt Clark Charity Shield match. Picture: Brendon Thorne

Longtime Penrith Panthers prop Nigel Plum will also be trading in the headgear for an ice hockey helmet.

The Bombers would hold Matt Clark Memorial Games until the club disbanded in 2001.

After 15 years of gathering dust, the Sydney Ice Dogs decided to revive the shield in 2016, paying tribute to Clark by donning special Bombers jerseys with Clark’s name on them for select Australian Ice Hockey League games.

This year’s Matt Clark Charity Shield will be held at Macquarie Ice Rink on Saturday, July 13, and will see the Ice Dogs aim for their third-straight shield victory when they clash with the Adelaide Adrenaline.

A parade of former NRL stars — including Dave “Wolfman” Williams, Tim Brasher, Nigel Plum and Luke O’Dwyer — will also be taking to the ice on the night in a special celebrity match during the intermission.

After raising more than $25,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation over the last three years, Ice Dogs general manager Scott Stephenson said the club was aiming to step it up this time around.

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“We’re really proud to have raised more than $25,000 so far and our goal is to raise $15,000 at this game,” Stephenson said.

“We’ve won the last two out of three years since bringing it into the national league to keep it alive and we really want to try and get that total to $40,000 and respect Matt’s wish.”

A total of $5 from every game ticket will be donated directly to the Leukaemia Foundation while game-worn player jerseys will also be auctioned off.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at icedogsshop.com.au.

Direct donations can also be made at leukaemia.org.au.