As part of Greene King’s Proud to Pitch In campaign, the Coventry Corsairs are part of the advertising to showcase the power and passion behind grassroots sports clubs.

The promotions are appearing in Tesco Extra’s up and down the country, which includes a picture of the our Vice Chair, Sam Rose.

Originally set up in 2019, the Corsairs have been going from strength to strength, with the appearance in this campaign being their latest achievement. Last year, the club, which welcomes all members regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age or physical fitness levels, won a £3,000 social mobility grant from the pub chain to help fund the team. This money was put towards buying kit for players, tournament entrance fees, and transport for a couple of away games last season.

Sam Rose, who plays as a Flanker, joined the Corsairs in February 2020, after a decade away from the game. Since then, he’s become Vice Chair of the club and has been influential in doubling the size of the team in the last 12 months, to over 45 regular players.

“It’s an honour to be one of the faces of the campaign,” said Sam. “But more importantly, it’s an honour for the entire Corsairs team. We’ve worked so hard to get to the point where we are today, and being recognised is an indication of how far we’ve come. This is a real team effort!”

In April last year, the team were joined by the campaign ambassador James Haskell to discuss what this means for the club. Chairman Robert Poulton is proud to be chosen as one of the teams that are being highlighted.

”To receive the grant from Greene King was fantastic and really helped us support our members to continue their rugby journey,” said Rob. “It also means so much to us that a rugby club which supports the LGBTQ+ community was chosen to represent Greene King - it shows that rugby truly is an inclusive sport.”

For each 4-pack of Greene King IPA sold during the Six Nations’ run, 50p will be donated to grassroots sports causes.