Members of the Associates Rugby Union Football Club know a legend when they see one, and it’s paid off. The Swanbourne-based club is now $10,000 richer after taking out the top prize in the Local Legends television advertisement competition.
22 August 2008
The club's
winning advertisement recognised the hard work of volunteer Edna Rovira, who is
a life member of the club. The advertisement, along with some of the finalist
entries, was shown on Channel 7 as the centrepiece of an advertising campaign
to recognise the club volunteer.
Associates RUFC President Dave Newton said Edna was not only a former club President, but was also likely to have been the first female President of a senior rugby union club anywhere in Australia.
She was in the President role for four years from 2004 to 2007 and as a registered nurse is now supervising the club's sports medicine and sports trainer operations.
The Rovira family has a long association with the club. Edna's husband Tony played and coached and their sons are currently playing with the club.
"Edna puts in countless hours at the club, about 10 a week, and is part of our team of about 120 volunteers who support our 300 junior and 200-odd senior players. We couldn't function without them," Mr Newton said.
"We plan to use some of the prize money to build ourselves a barbecue and will be inviting all our volunteers to a free barbecue as a thank you once it's done."
The Local Legends television advertisement competition saw the Western Australian Sports Federation (WASF), Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) and Channel 7 team up to give local sport and recreation clubs a chance to win $10,000 or one of 11 $1000 prizes by making a 20 second advertisement about their Local Legend.
The $1000 prize winning finalists were:
- Greenwood Gaelic Football Club
- Quinns Rock Cricket Club
- East Fremantle Under 9s Football
- Vic Park Junior Football Club
- Perth Bayswater Rugby Union Football Club
- Riding for the Disabled Association (Swan Valley)
- Manning Rippers Football Club
- Western Desert Racers
- Phoenix Calisthenics Club
- Augusta Margaret River Football Club
- Tompkins Park Touch Association
The Local Legends campaign is all about recognising those people who give their all to help make their sport or recreation clubs great.
We all lead busy lives, but behind every successful club are those special people who so generously give their time week in and week out. From the mum who takes her kids to the game, the linesman, the canteen assistant, the coach and the referee to the club secretary, these Local Legends deserve recognition.
These people play such an important role because recent DSR research shows that kids who participate in organised sport and recreation do better at school, families involved in clubs are closer, clubs make our communities happier and safer places, and people involved in clubs are mentally healthier.
