Under 15s Take Road Safety Message to Finals

The Wesley College Under 15 rugby team will be taking the ‘Speed Kills’ message onto the field this Saturday when they line up for the season final. Franklin District Council believe that the team is the only school rugby team in New Zealand to carry a road safety message on their strip.

“The ‘Speed Kills’ campaign has been really picked up and supported by groups and individuals in Franklin, including Wesley College’s Under 15 rugby team who approached us to help spread the word,” says Franklin District Council’s Road Safety Coordinator, Monique Haines.

Franklin District Council and ACC jointly funded a set of 25 new playing jerseys with the ‘Speed Kills’ message emblazoned on the front. The team also hand out the limited edition ‘Speed Kills’ playing cards to the opposition at the end of each game. Franklin District Council’s Road Safety Coordinator has been invited to attend the final and promote the ‘Speed Kills’ message from the sidelines.

The shirts have only been used for a couple of games so far but the message will be extending beyond Franklin’s boundaries with the team planning to wear them to the National Invitational Tournament in Wellington in September. The shirts will also be used next season to spread the message that excessive speed is the single biggest killer on New Zealand roads.

“People think that speeding is safer then driving drunk. It’s not. Speed kills. It is great that the students are taking ownership of this message before they reach driving age,” says Monique.