TAREE City Rugby League Club hope to raise more than last year’s figure of $20,000 for Can Assist at Saturday’s annual Kristylea Bridge Cup memorial day at the Jack Neal Oval.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bulls and the Wingham Tigers will meet in first grade for the cup challenge. Wingham currently holds the cup and is undefeated in the three Kristylea games decided since 2014.
However, the football is just part of the program that will start early with junior league fixtures. Can Assist volunteers will be running raffles throughout the day while that evening an auction of sporting memorabilia will be held at the Airport Tavern at Cundletown. The day will also feature a reunion of players from all Group Three clubs, organised by Kevin Hardy and Errol Ruprecht.
Kristylea – who lost her battle with a rare form of cancer in December 2013 – will be well represented in the first grade game on Saturday. Her dad, Gary, coaches Taree City while her brother, Todd, is the halfback. Cousins Tim and Matt Bridge will lineup for Wingham.
Saturday night’s auction will start at 7.30. Items will include signed NSW, Sydney Roosters, Penrith and Melbourne Storm jumpers. There’ll be six corporate box passes to the Newcastle/Brisbane NRL game and four corporate passes to the Cronulla/Roosters match. There’ll also be a corporate package for a South Sydney game that will include passes to the ground to watch the players warm-up and the opportunity to meet the players after the match.
Another will involve Danny Buderus and a high profile NRL player being involved in one hour's coaching for an individual or a team.
Gary Bridge said the community – even those not usually associated with rugby league – have strongly supported the day and this usually draws the biggest crowd of the season to the Jack Neal Oval.
“It’s getting bigger each year,’’ he added.
Can Assist is committed to ensuring that people in NSW, regardless of where they live, have access to cancer treatment and care. By providing accommodation, financial assistance and practical support to people from rural and regional NSW, the group tries to ensure that country people are given the same opportunities and treatment choices as those who live in city centres.