Australian rugby legend David Campese handed over £2,500 seized from criminals to Nelson RFC during a visit to the club last night, November 4.
David Campese scored 64 tries in 101 tests for the Wallabies between 1982 and 1996.
He is in the UK for ten days and is visiting various rugby clubs such as Nelson RFC to talk about the game in the build-up to match between Wales and Australia this weekend.
Nelson RFC showed off their skills and what they have to offer as a rugby club and community.
Before being grilled at the clubhouse during a Q&A session, David Campese joined Gwent PCC Ian Johnston and Nelson RFC product and Wales international and Dragons player, Andrew Coombs, to present the club with a cheque of £2,500 from Mr Johnston’s Partnership Fund.
The club is one of 41 projects in Gwent awarded a share of more than £157,000 from Ian Johnston’s Partnership Fund last month.
The grant scheme is funded by the proceeds of crime awarded to the police and from the sale of unclaimed found property, with cash given to groups who proved their community benefit.
The money will be spent on establishing men and women’s teams aged 16-19 with the hope of attracting 70 players to take up the sport.
Mr Johnston said: “By getting young people off the streets this project can help reduce low-level criminality and anti-social behaviour.
“It will provide young people in the area with an opportunity to have something more constructive to do instead of standing on street corners. It’s all about providing something positive for them to expend their energies on.
“Rugby is a great way of enhancing young people’s teamwork skills and for building cohesion in the community. That’s why I awarded this funding to the club.”
Robert Bryan, Youth Coach at Nelson RFC, said: “We’re absolutely delighted with this funding from the Commissioner. It will help us to attract even more young people to the club and will lure them away from the temptation of alcohol and drug abuse which is gripping many of our communities these days.
“We provide a safe and well managed environment for local youngsters here and they can take part in something more positive and build their own self-esteem from that.
“The club is the biggest outlet for young people in the community and it’s really important to Nelson and the wider community that it’s here.
“As coaches, we have a lot of experience in helping young people who have perhaps been led astray and in trying to get them back on the straight and narrow.”