London Irish will be showing their support for Restart Rugby, the official charity of the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) at this Sunday’s Greene King IPA Championship Play-off Semi-final first leg clash away to Doncaster Knights.

The squad will warm up in special Restart Rugby t-shirts before the game to raise awareness for the #LiftTheWeight campaign, which is also being supported by all 12 Premiership clubs.

The ‘Restart Rugby Weekend’ aims to raise £10,000 for the charity’s work supporting current and former professional rugby players suffering from serious injury, illness or hardship, while also raising awareness for the #LiftTheWeight campaign, which aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

As part of #LiftTheWeight, Restart Rugby provides a 24-hour counselling service for players and their families when they need it most. One in four people in the UK will experience a mental health issue each year and rugby players are no exception.

Players give their all for club and country but their lives and careers can change in a split second. When things go wrong, Restart Rugby is there to provide players and their families with financial, practical and emotional support, including help with medical treatment, rehabilitation, counselling and career transition.

Damian Hopley, Group CEO of the RPA, said: “Thanks to the support of the rugby community, the Restart Rugby Weekend will once again shine a spotlight on the charity’s important work while raising vital funds to help players when they need it most.”

How you can help #LiftTheWeight:

Be the 16th man cheering the players on in the next step back to the Premiership. Tickets for the home Play-off Semi-final against Doncaster Knights on Saturday 6 May at the Madejski Stadium are on sale from www.lidirect.co.uk or by calling 0118 968 1016 #StrongerTogether.

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