9th Annual Charity 7s Tag Rugby in memory of Si Viney

Wooden Spoon at the ninth annual charity sevens tag rugby tournament in memory of Simon Viney.

IT was glorious weather for guests and teams at the ninth annual charity sevens tag rugby tournament in memory of Simon Viney at Barns Green Rugby Club on Sunday 20 May. Teams of all ability entered the tag tournament which has become a much-loved fixture in the local sporting calendar. Great fun was had by all with the Helen Blake team being crowned winners.

Rugby lover Simon passed away at the young age of 22 from a degenerative heart condition in 2009. For the last two years of his life he and his father Guy cemented their love of rugby by playing together for Barns Green, which they did on numerous occasions.

In his memory, the tournament was set-up and has since raised in excess of £45,000 for various charities including Wooden Spoon, St Barnabas Hospice, The Springboard Project, Clic Sargent and St Catherine’s Hospice. This year the charities benefiting are Wooden Spoon, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance and Barns Green Rugby Club to help with fundraising for their new pitch and facilities.

Hundreds of people turned out to support this year’s tournament which was very much a family day out. In excess of £7,000 was raised including a fantastic auction with items donated by friends and local business. We are all looking forward to next year’s 10th Anniversary Day and Wooden Spoon Sussex are aiming to fund a new project in the Horsham area in 2019 to celebrate Barns Green’s outstanding commitment to supporting local charities in memory of Si Viney.