Kits For Kumuls

Menzie Yere launches ‘Kits For Kumuls’ charity

Sheffield Eagles’ star Menzie Yere has set up a charity to donate used football boots and rugby kit to impoverished players in his home country of Papua New Guinea – and he wants your donations.

The Papua New Guinea international got the idea for the ‘Kits For Kumuls’ campaign during his first season in England last year. Every two weeks the hard hitting centre and Sheffield Eagles fans’ favourite would buy a new pair of football boots and send them back to his home village in PNG. By the end of the season, he’d collected enough used kit from teammates to more than fill his luggage allocation on the long flight home.

Now, with a little help from Sheffield Eagles and the Rugby League family, he’s decided to turn his idea into a full-blown charity campaign.

‘Kits For Kumuls’ – which will be officially launched this week at Sheffield Eagles’ televised game against Keighley Cougars (Thursday 27 May, kick off 7.30pm, Sky Sports) – aims to collect donations of used rugby kit, cleaned, used football boots and other rugby league equipment from Rugby League fans, clubs, sponsors and sports fans in the UK and distribute them to needy youngsters and amateur players in Papua New Guinea. It is hoped that the first container load of donations will be sent over to PNG in time for the 2010 Gillette Four Nations tournament, in which Papua New Guinea will feature alongside Australia, England and World Champions New Zealand.

Papua New Guinea is a Rugby League mad nation, and is officially the only country that calls the 13-a-side code its national sport.

Menzie Yere said: “In Papua New Guinea the people love Rugby League, but it is very hard to get boots and kit. Many people live in rural areas and have very little money. Some youngsters do not have shoes, let alone rugby boots.”

“When I started playing in England last year I decided to use some of my pay to buy new boots and send them back to my village. I bought a new pair every few weeks. At the end of the season, I collected used rugby kit from other players at the Eagles and took those back with me to give to youngsters.”

“This year, with the help of Sheffield Eagles, I have decided to launch The Menzie Yere Foundation and the ‘Kits For Kumuls’ campaign to collect donations of used kit from Rugby League clubs, fans and players all over the UK to send to Papua New Guinea. I would like to ask everyone to give what they can to help my countrymen and women.”

‘Kits For Kumuls’ is a not for profit campaign and neither Sheffield Eagles nor Menzie Yere will take a penny from donations.

Clubs and individuals can pledge their support and find out where to send kit donations by logging on to www.kits4kumuls.com. Monetary donations to cover the costs of shipping are welcome.

Kits For Kumuls is supported by The Rugby Football League, the Papua New Guinea High Commission in London, Sheffield Eagles and Hanlon & Wright.