Southport Rugby Club veterans have raised £450 for Melanoma UK through hosting a special match in memory of a much-loved rugby player.
The ‘Southport Shipwrecks won 29-25 against Nick RFC, a fundraising team set up in memory of Nick Giles, who tragically died in October 2020.
In his memory, Nick RFC played two games in 24 hours, starting with a match at Waterloo Road against Southport RFC on Saturday (9th April), followed by a game against Hastings & Bexhill RFC on Sunday (10th April) – a distance of 301 miles between the two clubs and a round trip of over 600 miles.
A Southport RFC spokesperson said: “We were delighted to have hosted the inaugural game for this great cause. As a club we raised £450 to be added to the fundraising for Melanoma UK.”
Click the link to donate: https://www.melanomauk.org.uk/fundraisers/a-tour-for-nick
Gavin Thomas from Nick RFC said: “Nick was a tough prop forward who was well respected by his opponents and teammates, in terms of rugby he loved scrummaging and touring.
“The joy of travelling to another part of the country, playing rugby and drinking with his opponents afterwards was something Nick revelled in and we hoped to honour him through a 600 mile round trip and two games of rugby.
“None of us are getting any younger but we want to support Melanoma UK in raising the profile of Melanoma and the warning signs.
“Nick’s melanoma was spotted by a team-mate who urged him to get it checked.
“We want to amplify that message whilst honouring his memory the best we can.”
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