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Springboks thank volunteers in Taupō

Monday 26 September 2011, 6:29PM

By Taupo District Council

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RWC 2011 Volunteer Julie Yeoman with Springbok Backs Ruan Pienaar (left) and Butch James (right).
RWC 2011 Volunteer Julie Yeoman with Springbok Backs Ruan Pienaar (left) and Butch James (right). Credit: Taupo District Council

TAUPO

Members of the South African rugby team paid a surprise visit to the RWC 2011 volunteer workforce centre in Taupō today, signing autographs and posing for photos, as a thank you for the many hours of hard work by the volunteers during the Tournament so far.

Having just finished a public training session at Owen Delany Park, eight Springboks players, and some of the management team, took a detour to Taupō Public Library to thank the Volunteer workforce in person. Players signed posters, hats and even volunteer jackets for the volunteers, who were more than delighted with the personal visit.

The Springboks have made Taupō their home for a total of ten nights during September and leave for Auckland for the second and last time on Thursday. They will play Samoa on Friday night in their final pool match of RWC 2011.

Taupō has a team of approximately 50 RWC 2011 volunteers, who together will put in hundreds of hours of free labour over the six week Tournament period. The group is split into two teams; fleet drivers, who move VIPs and team equipment around town, and the host workforce, who have been attending public training sessions and Fanzones and have been available to help visitors in town centre streets.