Worcester Warriors have been forced to order in new stock of the Warriors Charity Acorns kit with sales rocketing ahead of the Middlesex Sevens.
The playing shirt, launched in conjunction with Acorns Children’s Hospice, will be worn at the Sevens tournement at Twickenham by Warriors to show their commitment to the local charity.
Each sale of the striking orange shirt – which features the Acorns logo, is sponsored by npower and manufactured by official kit suppliers Kukri – generates a £5 donation to the charity.
And fans have already managed to raise over £500 for Acorns – enough to keep a bed open at the Bath Road hospice for one day.
Warriors Retail Manager Jane Fudger said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the support the shirt has already received and it has really captured the imagination of our fans.
“We have been selling orange shirts every day and such has been the demand we have now had to order in extra stock to stop the shelves emptying.
“To have already raised so much vital money for Acorns is a wonderful achievement by our supporters and everybody at the club is looking forward to seeing the Warriors and our fans kitted out in orange at the Middlesex Sevens to really raise awareness of the crucial work the charity does with local families.”
Mike Ruddock’s team will also proudly wear the orange kit for every pre-match warm-up this season to show their support for Acorns.
Fran Winterbourn, Acorns Community Fundraiser, said: “Acorns is the only children’s hospice in the three counties and provides vital care and support services to local life-limited children and their families. We need to fundraise for over 80% of our income as we receive little money from the Government.
“It’s amazing that Worcester Warriors are supporting us with a new kit and that the fans are really supporting it. To have raised enough to keep one hospice bed open for a day is a great achievement by everyone and my thanks go to the Warriors and their marvellous fans.”
The new orange playing shirt is available priced £44.95 from the Sixways Store or online at http://www.wrfc.co.uk/. Each shirt sale generates a £5 donation to Acorns. T-shirts are also available priced £19.95 and will generate a £2.50 donation to charity. Junior playing shirts and t-shirts are also now in stock.
Sixways Store staff are also running a special ‘Acorns Draw’ for fans to win the shirts that feature at Twickenham, signed by squad who played.
Fans can enter by making a minimum donation of £5 in the Sixways Store, or £1 if they have purchased an Acorns item. All proceeds go to Acorns with one shirt given away each calendar month.