Dons Press Release: South Wales Game : Tue Jan 04, 2011 12:46 pm
On 13th March 2011 Doncaster RLFC will be dedicating their season-opening league fixture against South Wales Scorpions to the New Zealand mining disaster which happened in November 2010.A small explosion trapped 24 New Zealanders, two Australians, two Britons and a South African for six days until a larger explosion was believed to have claimed their lives.
With Doncaster being a mining town and South Wales a traditional coal mining area, the CEO/Owner of ‘the dons’, Carl Hall, believes this to be the appropriate game to honour the miners.
Doncaster had also suffered from a similar tragedy in November 1931 in which 45 miners were killed at Bentley colliery.
Carl, who is from New Zealand himself, is calling on all New Zealanders in the UK, including rugby players from both codes of the game, to attend the match Carl said “this is the least we can do for them even though we are on the other side of the world The families who lost loved ones are in our thoughts”.
All proceeds raised will go to the Pike River Trust Fund with the Don’s donating £2 from every paying adult ticket to the fund.
This event has the support of the New Zealand Embassy and further details of the clubs plans will be released in the New Year.
