League 4 Life Needs Canterbury’s Support

Sir Peter Leitch, aka The Mad Butcher, leads an all-star rugby league cast including Warriors CEO Jim Doyle and former Warriors and Kiwis Test back Jerome Ropati on its way to Christchurch this week to raise funds for the League 4 Life Foundation.

Instigated by Doyle during his time as New Zealand Rugby League CEO, League 4 Life is a charitable organisation designed to help out people in the rugby league fraternity, and the Cashmere Club at 50 Colombo Street is hosting a fundraiser on Friday, April 7.

The event kicks off at 11.30am, with tickets $1000 for a table of 10 people. Single sales are also available.

Food and beverages are on offer, while there will be an auction and a silent auction. Anyone who has attended an event MC’d by The Mad Butcher will vouch that it’s guaranteed to be entertaining, while Doyle is one of New Zealand sport’s most interesting speakers, and Ropati – now a community officer with the Warriors – has a decade and a half’s worth of experiences in top-level rugby league to share.

Sir Peter, League 4 Life’s patron, has issued a rallying cry for all Kiwis to get behind the cause.

“It’s moulded on the Men of League in Australia,” he said.

“It’s very much in its infancy stages, but the idea is very simple: to assist people in rugby league that need a helping hand.

“We’ve been able to help a few people in the past, but of course what we have to generate is revenue.

“We’ve got to get rugby league people to buy into it.”

League 4 Life has already come to the aid of many people in the New Zealand rugby league community, Sir Peter explained, but the foundation needs more support to achieve everything it has set out to do.

“The money goes to help people in need – simple. I could put a fancy spin on it, but the reality is any money we raise goes to help people in need.

“There’s a girl in Christchurch who is very involved in the game. She needed treatment for cancer, and we were able to help her out.

“A former Kiwi, Tommy Conroy, we helped him out.

“You don’t have to be a player; it could be an administrator or anyone involved in the game that needs some assistance.

“We don’t have billions of dollars to give out – we can only give out the money once we’ve got it raised – so the idea of coming down to Christchurch is to spread the gospel and hopefully get people to sign up.”

Aside from the satisfaction of supporting a tremendous initiative, Sir Peter promised those attending the event at the Cashmere Club on Friday a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

“Jim Doyle will speak to the crowd, I’ll interview Jerome Ropati and there will be an opportunity for people to ask some questions,” he enthused.

“It’s a good opportunity to come and meet Jim, meet a former player of considerable in Jerome, and it will be an opportunity for sports fans to come together in the name of a great cause.”

There’s still plenty of tickets available and League 4 Life needs the support of the Canterbury Rugby League community. To book your table for the League 4 Life fundraiser at Cashmere Club on Friday, April 7, phone Kevin Thorn on 021355474 or Don Whyte on 0211190268.

People can also sign up as League 4 Life member for a tax-deductible amount of just $25 per year. Become a member HERE.