Leeds Rhinos Garry Schofield has taken up a surprise coaching venture.
Schofield, who won the 1990 Man of Steel, will head up the British Asian Rugby Association side as they take on Team Colostomy UK in an exciting clash.
The game will take place at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, home of the Batley Bulldogs, and will be a curtain raiser to the Bulldogs BetFred Championship clash with the London Broncos. It will be played under modified masters rugby league rules to enable players of all ages and abilities to take part.
👀 Record for GB 🇬🇧 caps, 1991 world player of the year, 1990 Man of Steel, RL Hall of Fame 🤩 Garry Schofield OBE is going to be a special guest at our game against BARA in #Batley! Garry will be heading up the coaching for BARA. For more on the day visit https://t.co/5k6WBjjfVy pic.twitter.com/PNqvuJRmFr
— Team Colostomy UK (@TeamColostomyUK) April 13, 2022
Team Colostomy UK Rugby League is an initiative from the National charity Colostomy UK. It aims to challenge and change perceptions of what it means to live with a stoma, and show that having a stoma need not be a barrier to achieving anything in life, including playing the toughest of team sports.
Speaking on behalf of Team Colostomy UK, Giovanni Cinque said: “We’re delighted to be playing such a prestigious game, and as a curtain raiser to the Championship fixture between Batley and London.
“The conditions that can lead to stoma surgery are prevalent across all communities in the UK and we hope that our game with BARA will help increase awareness of our charity in West Yorkshire and how people can access support from us if they need it.
“We’re hugely grateful to Ikram and BARA for the fixture, and to everyone at Batley Bulldogs for hosting us.”
On behalf of BARA, Ikram Butt commented: “We are looking forward to getting back onto the playing field after a two-year absence due to a variety of reasons.
“No better way to kick off our season is to support an important cause and help make a positive difference to people’s lives. We would like to thank Giovanni Cinque for this wonderful opportunity and our primary sponsors Regal Food PLC and La Romantica Beds for their continued support.’’
