Sale Sharks stars brought a dose of festive cheer to patients at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital last week when they dropped in to deliver some Christmas presents.
Sharks men’s skipper Ernst van Rhyn joined George Ford and Rob du Preez, plus Sharks Women’s stars Beatrice Rigoni, Courtney Keight and Evie Wills at the Oxford Road Campus site to hand out the gifts.
The presents were paid for following an internal collection at Sharks’ Carrington training centre, with players and staff donating almost £1000.
Sharks skipper Van Rhyn said: “Christmas is a challenging time for so many families across our region and it was important for us to do our bit to help bring some smiles to the kids and their families.
“It was amazing to see and it was a really special afternoon for all of us. The children, their families and the staff at the hospital are genuinely inspirational.”
The hospital is the largest and busiest children’s hospital in the UK, with 371 paediatric beds. It provides care for children and young people across the North West, across the UK and internationally.
Staff also provide general paediatric care for children and young people living in Greater Manchester.
Brad Hawkins, Relationship Officer Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, said: “Thank you to everyone from Sale Sharks for coming along. It really made such an impact on our patients.”
