Premiership Rugby Puts Restart Rugby Centre Stage

PREMIERSHIP RUGBY is delighted announce that Round 21 of the Aviva Premiership Rugby, next weekend 9/10 May 2015, is being dedicated to Restart Rugby the official charity of The Rugby Players' Association (RPA).

As a mark of the strengthening partnership between Premiership Rugby and the RPA, Round 21 has been renamed the Restart Rugby Weekend, the first of its kind.

Restart Rugby is a charity that raises funds for those rugby players and their families who are in need.

A number of initiatives are being staged to promote Restart amongst clubs, supporters and Aviva Premiership Rugby partners with many of the players in action wearing Restart T-shirts to warm-up to show support for their charity.

The matches dedicated to Restart Rugby are:

• Harlequins v Bath Rugby
• Sale Sharks v Newcastle Falcons
• Gloucester Rugby v London Irish
• Northampton Saints v London Welsh
• Wasps v Leicester Tigers
• Saracens v Exeter Chiefs

"Player welfare is our No 1 priority so we are delighted to be supporting the great work of Restart Rugby in this way," said Phil Winstanley, Rugby Director, Premiership Rugby.

"Restart Rugby supports professional rugby players to prepare for life after rugby and so performs a vital role in the team today. The work the charity does to give players the life skills for careers after rugby is essential."

Damian Hopley the Chief Executive of the RPA said: "This is a very important partnership and we are delighted with the platform Premiership Rugby is giving us to promote the great work being done by Restart Rugby.

"Our players give their all for team, club and country, but their lives can change in a split second: a bad tackle, collapsed scrum, serious concussion, an accident or illness off the pitch.

"Restart Rugby is there to support players and their families with financial, practical and emotional support, including help with medical treatment, rehabilitation, counselling, education and career transition."

How Restart Rugby helps

Restart Rugby provides support to current and Alumni RPA Members in the following ways:

• Help with the cost of long-term or on-going medical treatment
• Assistance to pay for equipment or home improvement to help with rehabilitation or disabled access
• Support to attain qualifications and retraining in the event of career-ending illness or injury
• A Confidential Counselling service to help players and their families cope during difficult times
• Financial support if a player is unable to work as a result of illness or injury
• Medical research and injury prevention initiatives to reduce future demands on charity funds

How you can help

• Text RUGB09 and then the amount you wish to donate to70070
• Attend future RPA events, all of which raise funds for Restart Rugby
• Donate auction prizes at RPA events such as The Rugby Players' Awards 2015 on 13 May at Battersea Evolution in London
• Visit the Restart Rugby website to get involved or donate online: www.restartrugby.org.uk

If you would like any more information on Restart Rugby and how to get involved or donate please visitwww.restartrugby.org.uk, follow @RestartRugby or like Restart Rugby on Facebook.

-Ends-

Contact: Patrick Giffney – Communications Manager,PGiffney@theRPA.co.uk, tel. 020 3053 6670

Sarah Johnson on 020 7953 7470 sarah@lotus-uk.co.uk

Notes to editors

Restart Rugby is a registered charity (No. 1113160) that relies on the support of businesses, rugby supporters and the players themselves to raise funds each year for those players and their families in need.

Established in 1998, the RPA is the Association that looks after the collective welfare interest of the 650 male and female RPA members in England. The RPA has acted as the exclusive commercial representative of the England Team since 2004.

RPA Commercial Partners include Accenture, Affinion International, Aviva, BMW, HSBC, KPMG, TAG Heuer, The Sunday Times and Towergate Insurance.

For more information on the Rugby Players' Association, please visitwww.therpa.co.uk