Last season, Otley Rugby Club contributed boxes of unwanted rugby kit to the International Rugby Board Kit Aid programme, which distributes them to emerging rugby nations.

All sections of the club took part with boots, shirts and shorts from the juniors and old team strips from the senior teams being collected to start the journey to where it was needed.

Several months later, Otley Rugby Club have been delighted to receive an e-mail from Michael Collinson, President of the Swaziland Rugby Football Union, telling them that one of the team strips which had been sent had been gratefully received by the newly-formed Ngwenya Rugby Club and were in active use already.

Chris Dewhirst, who organised the Kit Aid at Otley Rugby Club, said: “I am delighted that our strips are being used by Ngwenya. When we were collecting the kit we knew it was a good cause, but when you see it being used in Swaziland you know that all your efforts have been worthwhile. It will give us great momentum for this season’s Kit Appeal.”

Otley Rugby Club are keeping in contact with the Swaziland Rugby Union and hope to get updates about Ngwenya Rugby Club, which is situated on the western border with South Africa.

“I have e-mailed the Swaziland RFU for some more details of Ngwenya Rugby Club and have visited their website and read details of the games,” said Mike Gillson, from Otley Rugby Club.

“Since I received the news about the strips, I have discovered that at least four club members have visited Swaziland, with two having actually been to Ngwenya and have friends who live in the village.”

Otley Rugby Club is currently collecting unwanted rugby kit, suitable for players of all ages for the Kit Aid programme. If anyone has any unwanted rugby boots, rugby shirts, shorts or socks, Otley Rugby Club would be delighted to receive them on behalf of the IRB.

Please put the clean kit into bag or box marked KIT AID and take it down to the club.

In an e-mail to the Otley club the Swaziland Rugby Union President, Michael Collinson, said that they had received a delivery of SOS IRB Kitaid and amongst the rugby kit were two sets of Otley Rugby Club jerseys. Collinson added: “Your old rugby jerseys are being put to very good use here in Swaziland. The Swaziland Rugby Union have given one set to a newly-formed Rugby Club called Ngwenya Rugby Club (Ngwenya means crocodiles in SiSwati - the local language) who are situated on the western border of Swaziland. “Two weeks ago Ngwenya took on the Swaziland University side at the Vondo’s ground in Malkerns wearing the Otley strip. Please say a huge thank you to everyone at Otley Rugby Club for their generosity and assure them that the Otley Rugby jerseys have found a second home and a new lease of life 6000 miles away in Swaziland.”

l The Otley club’s Pool Road floodlight project has reached completion and there will be an official switch on tonight, Thursday, at 6.30pm by MP Greg Mulholland. All are invited to attend and go back to the clubhouse afterwards.The club now has three floodlit pitches at Pool Road, which will allow all sides to train mid-week.