2022 Super Rugby Pacific champions Crusaders have won Australasia’s Best Sporting Team (ABST) award at Rugby Park yesterday.
Crusaders won the award for the second time with a $10,000 cheque which they will use to kickstart The Long Run, a community run and charity event aimed at raising much-needed funding for the Child Cancer Foundation.
The event is taking place on 27 January 2023, incorporating a 153-lap relay race around Rugby and Malvern parks – recognising the 153 Kiwi kids diagnosed with cancer every year.
It builds off the success of Crusaders Academy Manager Aaron Webb’s efforts in early 2022, when he ran 112 laps of the park (102km) raising more than $20,000.
The commendation award recognises the team with the best record over the last five years across 21 sports with home and away competitions across Australasia.
Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge said while the award identified that we are leaders in sport, “we are equally proud of the role we play off the field in our community.”
The Crusade With Heart Foundation is a Charitable Trust set up by the Crusaders to build belonging and connection beyond the Rugby Field and increase the positive impact the club can have on our community.
Through the foundation, the Crusaders’ ambition is to be one of the most impactful sports teams in the world.
