The Greyhounds XV and Grasshoppers XV will take to the Stourton Park First XV pitch on Friday night aiming to raise vital funds in support of both the Club and our chosen charity, the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Our charity this season was selected because the Wife of regular Hoppers back row, Rich Barratt, suffers from the disease. so the MS Society was the obvious choice.

Rose Barratt commented “I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2014 after a hospital stay with a suspected stroke. When I was told I had MS, I won’t lie I thought my life was over, oh how I was wrong. In the past 3 years, our lives have changed and we have had to make a lot of adjustments as a family but we have also gained so many positive things.

I reached out to the Multiple Sclerosis Society online to see what services and support were available. The online forum and helplines were brilliant. Through this I then discovered our local MS branch, so I went to their young persons meeting and quickly found support and comfort from other MS patients and their carers who are now our lifelong friends.

I now fundraise for the local Multiple Sclerosis Society branch and take part in awareness days in the local area. I find trying to help people who are newly diagnosed so fulfilling and think it’s important they have someone to talk to like I did when I was first diagnosed.
It was difficult for all of us and became very all-consuming when I was first diagnosed. Rich started rugby at Stourbridge shortly after my diagnosis and it has helped him so much. He quickly fitted in and it is a welcome distraction that he loves. Our son Riley soon got the rugby bug and wanted to follow Daddy everywhere he went on a Saturday to play. Riley also now trains at Stourbridge with the Micros. We receive so much support and understanding from the Grasshoppers team, they have become like our extended family. We are so grateful and lucky to have found everyone at Stourbridge Rugby Football Club and the money raised at the Clash will help families like us to receive support and raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis.”

The mighty Grasshoppers will be looking to avenge last season's narrow defeat by returning to winning ways against their ‘illustrious’ opponents the Greyhounds, who have recently achieved promotion to the North Midlands Reserve League Division 2.

Both teams will take to the field resplendant in their new sponsored kits, with all proceeds from the shirt sales, gate receipts and the raffle being split between the Club and the charity funds.

The fun starts at 7:00pm, with refreshments available all night followed by free post game entertainment from local live band '46th and Main'.

For more information see the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/310905716006640/

Alternatively contact the Club on 01384 395000 or John Slim on 07989 786913.

(The line-up in the picture is Stourbridge Lions President Trevor Gallop, Greyhounds Captain Andy Tomlinson, joint Grasshoppers Captains Mike Steven and Dave Surch, Rose and Rich Barratt with son Riley who is Hoppers mascot for the day)