Ireland tour

Hi, my name is Shoshanah Seumanutafa, and I am 17 years old. I live in South Surrey, close to White Rock and the beach. I am fundraising for a rugby trip this August, as my team is going to Ireland on tour. I played for Bayside U18 as well as the woman’s team. I started my rugby career one year ago, my first game ever representing team BC in the 7s tournament in Las Vegas. We came home with a gold. Though it was my first game, I was not new to rugby and its skills, just the rules. I grew up playing touch with my family and friends, handling a rugby ball was not new to me. I had practiced my rugby skills well before I started to play. Though I wasn’t new to the sport it was still a big surprise for me to make this team, with little to no knowledge of how the game worked. This opened my eyes however, and I fell in love with the sport. That opportunity opened many new doors for me, as I represented BC as well as Canada in both 15s and 7s. I was able to represent Canada in the UVic 7s tournament, and from there I made the Canadian non-traveling reserve team to France. It was quiet an opportunity for me as a newcomer to the game.  These experiences have taught me the value of hard work and perserverance. Through all these oportunities I have had, it has given me confidence. Something that I continually struggle with. I have truely found a passion in rugby, and it has encouraged me and made me work hard, as I have put much effort and time into training. Over the past couple of months, my family and I have hit a few bumps in the road. We struggle financially, so times have been hard. Just recently, my Grandpa, who lives in New Zealand, fell very sick.  I hadn’t seen him in 5 years, and as I was graduating, it was a graduating wish of mine to see my Grandpa one last time. Unfortunately soon after we got the news of his illness, he passed away. My Dad ended up taking an emergency trip down to New Zealand for the funeral, and that was also very costly to us financially. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. In this upcoming fall, I am attending UBC on a partial rugby scholarship, and I can tell you that it is mostly because of the hard work I have put into my rugby development over this year. Even though the scholarship helps, and my parents are very supportive, we are still struggling to pay off the rest of the university fees. This trip to Ireland would mean so much for me, as I believe it would be a great learning opportunity as well as development for my skills and knowledge of the game. Getting the chance to play against another country, to challenge myself would be important to my development as a player. Rugby has taight me to work hard, to push through pain, and that confidence as a player and a person is important. Rugby has taught me skills that are important in the game, as well as my personal life. I also believe that this could also open up many more opportunities for me as well. That is why I am reaching out to friends, family, acquaintances, and teammates. It would be the greatest gift if you could help me raise these funds to represent our province in Ireland.
Thank you so much for your generosity.