Sale Sharks programme - 2021

DEAN RICHARDS
P
laying or watching
live sport on
Boxing Day is one
of the great British
traditions with
games around this time of year
drawing big crowds as friends and
family come together.
There’s generally an extra-special
atmosphere around these
matches, and on behalf of
everyone at the club I’d like to
thank you all for coming along.
I hope you have had a great
Christmas despite everything
going on regarding the pandemic
and its associated effects, and
after such a difficult time I think we
all deserve to make the most of
this festive season.
So many of you have had to deal
with all manner of setbacks and
circumstances, and if we can help
deliver a great sporting and social
occasion for you today then
hopefully we will have played
some small part.
We welcome our visitors from Sale
Sharks, and hopefully this
afternoon’s game can provide a
suitable showcase as the
Gallagher Premiership’s two
northern clubs come together.
It is so important for our sport that
the North East and North West
continue to be represented
strongly on the national stage, and
with two quality squads on show
today I’m sure that will be the case.
As well as thanking you for coming
along and supporting the fixture I
would also like to extend my
appreciation to everyone at the
club for the continued efforts they
are making to keep things going.
When you choose to work in
professional sport there is a certain
acceptance that personal sacrifice
is required around the major
holiday seasons, with major work
commitments to fulfil at a time
when most people are at home
with their families.
Our players, support staff and
backroom team have all played
their part in ensuring we are fully
prepared for today, and I thank
them for those efforts. The
character and selflessness shown
by all concerned has been nothing
short of exceptional, and it’s a
pleasure to be involved with such a
great group of people.
Outside of what is sure to be an
entertaining and enjoyable
Mike Brown scoring in our last home game
afternoon of rugby, I would just
urge you all to keep looking out
for and supporting each other as
we all navigate these difficult
times. Keep listening to the
relevant advice, take the
appropriate steps to protect
yourselves and your family, and if
we can make things a little bit
better by giving you some live
sport to enjoy, then happy days!
Thanks once again for your
support.
Dean Richards
Director of rugby
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