Nathan diving for a try when playing for Cronulla Sharks.
The Boorowa Rugby Club has launched a heartfelt fundraiser raffle aimed at supporting Nathan Stapleton, who has been living with a life changing spinal injury since April 2022. The online event, which began two weeks ago, is offering incredible prizes and raising vital funds to assist Nathan and his family with the ongoing challenges of his recovery.
Jason Stuart, President of the Boorowa Rugby Club, explained the importance of this fundraiser and how it came together. “The fundraiser is an online event, and it’s a 100 Club raffle. Matty Corkhill, has generously donated three scrum machines,” Stuart shared. “The first prize is a top of the line scrum machine, arguably the best in the world, valued at $13,000. We also have two other sleds, both world-class, used by rugby clubs globally and even on the national stage.”
The fundraiser offers tickets at $500 each, with every single dollar raised going directly to Nathan Stapleton and his family to support his recovery. The goal is to raise $50,000, with the club selling 100 tickets to make this dream a reality. The raffle is set to draw on the 29th of March, but this will depend on ticket sales.
Nathan Stapleton, a former rugby league star with an accomplished career both in Australia and overseas, has faced an unimaginable challenge since suffering a spinal injury during his first game with the Boorowa Rugby Club.
“Nathan was a very accomplished footballer. He had a successful career in rugby league, both in Australia and overseas,” Stuart explained. “He retired and moved to a property just outside Boorowa, where he came to play with us. Unfortunately, in his first full game for us, he suffered the injury in the second half.
“The injury was not just devastating for Nathan, but for his family and the entire rugby community. “It was a tricky time. As Nathan would probably tell you, if it wasn’t for West Wyalong nurse Louise McCabe being there on the sideline, we could have lost Nathan that day.”
The community rallied around Nathan, but the road to recovery has been long and challenging. The injury has left Nathan a quadriplegic, requiring full time care and making daily tasks an uphill battle.
“He’s wheelchair-bound and has some movement from the neck up, but that’s pretty much it for Nath,” Stuart said. “His wife was pregnant with their second son when the accident happened, making it an even more difficult time for the family.”
The funds raised from the raffle will go directly toward Nathan’s care, ensuring he has access to the necessary resources to help improve his quality of life.
“The money will be used for his carers and anything that he might need, from specialised vehicles for transportation to home modifications that make his environment more accessible,” Stuart explained. “Anything we can do to provide that, Nathan and his team of caregivers will work out what’s best for him.”
The Boorowa Rugby Club and the local community are determined to continue supporting Nathan as he navigates this challenging new chapter in his life.
“It’s part of our duty to continue to support Nathan and his family,” Stuart said. “The rugby community, the Boorowa community, and the wider sporting community have all come together to help, and we’re going to do everything we can.”
Tickets for the raffle are available on the Boorowa Rugby Club’s Facebook page, as well as on the Enforcer Rugby Facebook and Instagram pages. The club hopes for strong community support, both from local residents and from rugby fans around the country, to help raise the funds needed for Nathan’s ongoing recovery.
“This is a chance for every-one to get involved and make a real difference in Nathan’s life,” Stuart said. “We’re all in this together, and with the community’s help, we hope to reach our goal and give Nathan support.”
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