Two-time British & Irish Lion and HSBC ambassador Jason Robinson this week made a special kit delivery to children in a deprived township in Johannesburg.
The World Cup-winner has been involved since the start of HSBC's kit delivery scheme, which has worked with rugby charity SOS IRB Kit Aid to collect unwanted and unused rugby kit from 40 schools across the UK & Ireland to be donated to schools across South Africa during the current Lions Tour.
Robinson visited Ikage Primary School in the Alexandra township in Johannesburg, where he played TAG Rugby with the children before handing out the kit.
"Today has been really good, the children were so delighted with their rugby jerseys and boots and wanted to play rugby straight away," he said. "There weren't any facilities so we just played a game of TAG Rugby in a courtyard."
The school is one of 20 to benefit so far from the HSBC Rugby Festivals in South Africa - an extension of the world's biggest schools rugby programme launched last year, which has involved over 60,000 children and 3,000 coaches across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
"It was good to see some of the children who were involved in last week's festival and to see how much enthusiasm there is for rugby amongst the township children.
"Having been involved in the HSBC programme since the beginning, it is really rewarding to actually be out here and helping to deliver the kit into the hands of the children.
Robinson: "The delight on their faces"
"The delight on their faces is something I will never forget."
Deputy Headteacher Mavis Mapeyi joined the children in giving thanks. "The kids enjoy the TAG so much, and it’s not just the children – the teachers also benefit," she said.
"Learning TAG has been very important for us, it teaches the children about teamwork and sportsmanship and they definitely concentrate better in class afterwards!
"We are so excited to receive the kit. It will make a big difference to these children and it is so special to have Jason Robinson here handing it all out to them."
So far the kit collection element of HSBC's legacy programme for the Lions Tour has proved very successful. Hundreds of boxes of unused rugby kit have been donated by children in the UK & Ireland.
"There is so much demand for kit that we are calling on any fans who are travelling to South Africa to support the Lions to bring any spare jerseys or socks or even t-shirts with them, which we will then deliver to even more schools across the country," said Giles Morgan, Group Head of Sponsorship for HSBC Holdings.
Fans who wish to donate items to the HSBC kit donation scheme are asked to bring items to one of the collection points in Durban and Johannesburg. These will be open in the Southern Sun Hotel in Northbeach, Durban on the weekend of the first test match (19-21 June) or The Radisson Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg for the second and third test matches (26-28 June and 3-5 July).
