With Premiership Women’s Rugby season well underway, here at OGM we are proud to be supporting women’s grassroots rugby. Mishka Pillay, an 18 year old from High Wycombe, who has her sights set on playing for England is a step closer to her dream, thanks to OGM sponsorship helping her attend the U18 Rugby Academy Thailand World Schools Festival 2023.
The World Schools Festival (WSF) has been in existence since 2018, when 10 of the best rugby playing schools in South Africa were joined by 10 equivalent teams from across the globe.
For the first time in 2023, the WSF has opened its doors to a Girls competition – taking place between 13th to 19th December in Thailand. Mishka’s school, Hartpury College in Gloucester is sending two teams, U18 men and U18 women, along to compete. With estimated costs of approximately £2000 per person, Mishka was looking for sponsorship to help contribute to tour costs.
Her father, Trevor Pillay, who is Shift Manager at OGM’s Oxford facility, approached OGM and as a result, the company is now helping Mishka fulfil her dreams through an Individual Player Tour Sponsorship package.
Trevor comments: “Mishka has been playing rugby for nine years now and has been part of the U18 Hartpury College team for the past two years, switching between outside centre (number 13) and right winger (number 14) as needed.
We are very proud of everything she has achieved, as she juggles her sporting dreams with her final year of A-levels. Thanks to OGM’s generous sponsorship donation toward’s Mishka’s trip to the WSF, she is one step closer to that coveted place in the England Ladies Rugby team.”
Paul Wightman, group managing director of Owen Greenings & Mumford (Holdings) says: “We are very pleased to be supporting Mishka as she takes her place in the Hartpury College team, one of the schools representing the UK at the WSF. We wish her and the rest of the team all the best in the competition and hope that this is only the beginning of a very successful career for her.”