Variety scholarship helps Whangārei boy with dream of becoming an All Black

Montana, 12, who has been playing rugby since he was 5-years-old, has received a scholarship to help with his rugby fees next year. Photo/John Stone

Whangārei rugby player Montana wants to be an All Black one day.

The 12-year-old plays for Ōtangarei's City Rugby Club, was selected to play rep rugby with the Whangārei Bears Squad this year, and goes for runs every week to keep his fitness up and become faster.

His mum Tamie, who did not want their last name used, said with club rugby fees at $55, plus the price of gear like boots and mouth guards - the cost of sports on top of raising five children as a solo-mum can be expensive.

"The demands of their sports, their personal activities, clothing, feeding them and just trying to get them warm in this house - it's pretty hard," she said.

But next year some of that pressure will be relieved as Montana has received a $290 Have a Go scholarship from Variety the Children's Charity which will go towards his rugby costs for the year.

"It means that this boy can succeed in his dreams. He wants to be a rugby player and this is helping him get towards his goals and that makes me as a mum feel that I've succeeded a little bit," Tamie said.

"Without it I probably would have paid things off at $5 a week but it's helped me for next year because it means I don't have to pay for any of it."

Montana, who plays lock, said it was pretty cool people had helped him with rugby costs next year.

He's been playing the sport since he was 5 and his dream is to become an All Black.

"I like rugby because you can tackle hard and I like setting up tries for my mates," he said.

This year was his first year playing rep rugby, and he hoped to make a rep team next year.

"We train two days and outside of rugby season I do running around the town sometimes to make me fit, and at my Nan and Pops' I got to do their lawns and it's good for me to toughen my calf muscles," he said.

Variety has launched its 2018 Christmas Appeal which will help fund Have a Go scholarships to enable kids to participate in extra-curricular activities, and Gold Heart scholarships for talented kids to develop in a chosen field.

To donate visit www.variety.org.nz