IPF Client Voted Club Chairman
Lee Jones was seriously injured playing for Silhillians RFC in 2016. Now 38, Lee relies on a wheelchair but that hasn’t affected his tremendous love for rugby and his club.
Now Lee is taking on a key role at the club, having been unanimously voted to take over as chairman at the most recent AGM.
Said Lee: “The club’s Director of Rugby contacted me saying he thought it made sense for me to become the next club chairman. Our chairman was stepping down after 10 years in charge, and as I had been involved in the club since I was a kid, and I was an old boy of Solihull School, which the club is linked to, it made sense.
“It was a conversation I hadn’t expected, but it was actually really nice and well timed, as the chairman stepping down was the person who got me involved in rugby and introduced me to the club. It was like passing the torch in some way.
“What I didn’t realise was that people at the club had been getting behind me being chairman in the background and at the AGM it was all agreed. In a typical rugby club way, there wasn’t a huge fuss.
Lee is passionate about maintaining the traditions of the rugby club’s 87 year history, bringing the entire club together, key areas he will looking to take on in his new role.
“The chairman’s role is being split now, with one person taking on a commercially focused role with the board of directors. My role as chairman will be to bring back more of the club’s traditions, as well as making a big push to unite everyone, from minis & juniors, through to the women’s team and touch rugby teams.
“My injury is secondary in this instance; I’m just really looking forward to devoting time to this.”
Having been voted in unanimously Lee said: “To be honest, when I first heard about this I thought it was a massive mountain to climb so there was a bit of trepidation. I soon realised this was do-able, I just needed to bring more people in around me, and to orchestrate a team to make sure we achieved everything we were setting out to accomplish. I spoke to other club players facing the end of their playing days and got them on board. We’ve now got eight or nine new guys involved, in addition to the committee, all really keen to make a difference at the club, like me.
“Now I just feel really, really proud. I know I can do it, and that together we’ve got this.”
To find out how you can support the Injured Players Foundation get involved and start supporting catastrophically injured rugby players, whether that’s taking on a run or by organising a quiz night at your local rugby club, please get in touch on IPF@theRFU.com or visit https://www.rfuipf.org.uk/get-involved.
