Newcastle Knights give $50,000 to help support drought-affected farmers
Newcastle have relied on the support of the community during their dark days of the past. Now they have returned the favour.
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The Knights have relied on their community in tough times before.
But it is the club’s time to pay back the wider region according to club boss Phil Gardner with the club providing $50,000 to support drought-ravaged farmers.
Newcastle are in Tamworth as part of a pre-season camp with Gardner on hand to present the cheque to Country Women's Association of NSW.
“In our community everyone has a turn at needing help,” Gardner said. “There has been time the Knights have needed a lot of assistance from the community and we are currently in the situation where we can give back so we are more than happy to support our community who are doing it tough.
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“We see it as us giving back to the community what we have already been given.
“The Knights used to be everyone’s second team. We want to get back to that. To do that we have to really get engaged with the community which stretches from Gosford to the Queensland boarder. Even if you don’t like rugby league, we want our community to respect the Knights.”
Players conducted a coaching clinic for about 300 children on Tuesday while Adam O’Brien and his coaching staff held court with local coaches.
Back-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon said the experience had been a real eye-opener for the squad.
“We are going through some tough times during the pre-season but it’s nothing like the tough times they are having here on the farms,” Fitzgibbon said. “It’s good to not only give back to the farmers but put on a clinic for the kids.
“These farmers don’t know when the end date is. The amount of livelihood they are losing, it’s tough time for them.
“It gave us a perspective over what living and breathing your life really is.”