THREE coaches have done "Movember in reverse" and shaved off their long-standing beards for the benefit of Golborne Parkside girls' rugby league teams.
Bob Hesketh, Lee Turner, and Chris Rustage took became the coaches of the first-ever girls' teams at Golborne Parkside this summer, giving girls at under 13's and under 15s/16's the opportunity to play competitive rugby league.
Since the pandemic, some of the players have suffered from mental health issues, so the rugby club has also been a vital outlet to keep the girls active, meet other people, and express themselves through sport.
With this in mind, the trio of coaches decided to raise money to make sure the teams are sustainable and can purchase new playing and training kits, rather than playing in old, hand-me-down jerseys.
As all three men have had beards for "as long as [they] can remember", they decided to brave the shave and give the usual Movember moustache-grow a bit of a twist.
The teams have also organised 10k charity runs to raise as much money as possible for the club.
Bob, who is a tutor at Warrington College and a player for the Golborne Parkside Masters team, said: "I used to coach my son's under-11's team but after this age group, the girls and boys get separated.
"I realised that although there were opportunities for the lads to carry on playing, there wasn't much for the girls, so I felt like I needed to provide for the girls who didn't have a team to play for anymore."
Since setting up the two teams in August, Bob said that the "wonderful group" have "really bought into what we are trying to build".
With the girls fully supportive of their coaches' fundraisers, Bob also noted that they have seen "big improvements" in their confidence and ability in just a few months.
While the team has already smashed their fundraising target, the coaches hope to raise as much money as possible so they can begin their new season fully prepared.
They also hope to attract more girls players and bring more age groups to Golborne Parkside.
To support Bob, Chris and Lee's efforts and help Golborne Parkside, you can donate at their fundraising page here.
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