Rebels to raise funds for injured coach struck by E-bike

BYRON Shire Rebels will raise vital funds for junior coach Tom Evans, who was severely injured after being struck by an E-bike rider while crossing the road at Casuarina.

The first grade team will play in special one-off jerseys which will be auctioned after the game against Lennox Head at Byron Recreation Ground on Saturday, June 21.

Byron Shire Rebels club president James Boysons said the proceeds will go towards Evans and his recovery efforts.

“Tom is a builder and he’s been off work after fracturing his cheekbone and getting about 20 stitches to his head,” Boysons said.

“He has a broken leg and other injuries that are quite bad, too.

“He has boys in two of our junior teams and we’re really hoping we can make it a big day to support him and the family.”

Qualifying for the semi-finals could come down to the final game of the season, with the Rebels still in contention in the Far North Coast rugby union competition.

The team has suffered a run of narrow losses and will look to get the season back on track over the next month.

“We’re a dry track team that’s fitter and faster than some of the other clubs,” Boysons said.

“We do have a dominant pack, and we use the scrum as a weapon, but the weather just hasn’t suited us.

“Two weeks in a row against Casino and Casuarina, we’ve lost games when points have been scored on the final play of the game.

“That really hurt us, we’ll have to learn from that.

“Ballina and Casino are stronger this year and it could come down to the last game of the year to decide the makeup of the top four, which is great for the competition.”

The Rebels were well represented with senior men and women playing a key role in FNC representative teams at the NSW Country Championships last month.

The club is also building on its junior base with English import Reece Bartlett overseeing the development of the under-12s team.

Boysons said reserve grade is playing catch-up games for double points in the coming weeks, while women’s numbers continue to grow with almost 20 players in the squad.