Super 14 players help bushfire victims
Australia's Super 14 rugby players have joined forces to contribute more than $87,000 to the Victorian bushfires appeal.
The Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA) announced on Wednesday its members from the Brumbies, Queensland and Western Force sides had agreed to donate a proportion of their match fees from last week's opening round of the Super 14 competition.
"I was approached by members wanting to do something to assist the bushfire victims in Victoria," RUPA chief executive Tony Dempsey said in a statement.
"Financial donations by members seemed like the quickest and most effective way of providing support to the people in need."
Force captain and Wallabies lock Nathan Sharpe said the Australian side had always been encouraged by the support they received playing Test matches in traditional non-rugby state Victoria.
"The support the Wallabies receive when we play in Melbourne is fantastic and always sees us play at our best," he said in the RUPA statement.
"We hope this goes some way towards helping people get back on their feet."
Queensland Reds players, currently on tour in South Africa, said they had kept abreast of the developments from their hotel rooms.
"Watching the stories come out of Victoria from our hotel room in Pretoria, it was difficult to imagine what the people of Victoria were going through," captain Berrick Barnes said.
"We wanted to help in any way possible."
As well as the player donations, RUPA will contribute $10,000, bringing the total to more than $87,000.
RUPA members from the NSW Waratahs would be contributing to the fund-raising effort in their own way, the statement said.
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