An avid All Black and Waikato Chief’s fan, Mark Kessom of Ray White Hamilton has a passion for rugby which stemmed through his younger years until he became an “armchair critic”. Mark now enjoys supporting and watching his eldest son play junior rugby. Mark commented “It’s a great time to engage with other parents and the public, and I really enjoy supporting those teams and clubs that appreciate my presence.”
Mark has always been one to give back to community events and is open to considering other sports and avenues of sponsorship. Mark currently sponsors both the Melville Rugby Junior Boys Club and the Ohaupo Junior Boys Rugby club.
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The Melville Rugby club was established in 1959 and has served its local community well over the last 50 years. Currently Melville fields 6 Senior Teams and 12 Junior teams and totals over 300 Club Members. Melville is one of the few Rugby clubs to field team in all grades of the Waikato Rugby Union and it is the only club in Hamilton to own its own clubrooms and fields.
The Ohaupo Rugby club, located in the centre of the Waipa and Waikato Counties has a fantastic history of junior rugby and is still involved with those who first played for Ohaupo more than 60 years ago. 2013 saw 90 children registered showed that the Ohaupo Club is still in great shape after 125 years.
Graham Kennedy, President of Ohaupo Junior Rugby Club commented, “If you are ever concerned about the future of our beloved game, simply offer to take a bunch of kids to and from their game on a Saturday morning! The excitement, the knowledge of the current All Blacks, the passion in their voice when talking up their upcoming performance, then on the way home the dissecting of the game, the tries scored, the tackles made and the “what could have beens” you will soon realise that the future of rugby is in good hands.”
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