Nigel Owens visits Wrexham Rugby Club to present £5,000 grassroots donation

Telegraph

30-01-2025

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any grassroots club and Go.Compare wanted to reward the very best of them with its Making a Difference campaign, which was launched last year with Telegraph Media Group.
The price comparison website, which is also the back-of-shirt sponsor for the Welsh Rugby Union, wanted to recognise the selfless dedication and commitment of those who make a real difference.
Clubs across Britain were asked to nominate their own unsung hero who goes over and above the call of duty, with a view to winning £5,000 for their club.
There were more than 800 entries across England, Wales and Scotland, each one with an incredible story to tell. The judges had an incredibly difficult time making a decision, but ultimately there could be only three winners, and the Welsh choice was David Dixon from Wrexham RFC.
Owens travelled to North Wales to reward a special volunteer who has made an extraordinary difference to their local club
Credit : Gareth Iwan Jones
David received a visit from legendary referee Nigel Owens to be given his prize on behalf of the club.
While Wrexham's football club hit the spotlight in recent years when Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McIlhenney bought it, the rugby club is quietly building a thriving community asset and looking to raise its profile.
And in the club's centenary year, David's accolade could not have come at a better time.
David, 45, first moved to Wrexham in 2007 but it was only when his twins – a boy and a girl – started playing mini rugby six years ago that he became involved with the club.
Nurturing the grassroots game and developing the junior section is hugely important to Dixon
Credit : Gareth Iwan Jones
Rugby had always been part of David's life, and as a parent he was keen to give something back to a sport from which he had derived real pleasure over the years. 'I enjoyed playing the sport for so long – as a hooker mainly, and I wanted to ensure the next generation could have what the sport gave to me.'
He started volunteering, then took his coaching qualifications and hasn't looked back.
'Primarily I coach the mixed under-10s but I also coach the girls' club under-10s Valkyries team. I also help out with the men's second team to help with my own development as a coach.
'I'm not a Welsh boy, but my wife is Welsh and that is what brought me to Wrexham,' says David, who is involved with the rugby club for six days a week in various capacities on top of his day job as an engineer. 'I got involved when my children started playing when they were five. I'm a terrible watcher so I got into coaching,' he smiles.
Nurturing the grassroots game and developing the junior section is, he says, vitally important.
The funding will ensure Wrexham Rugby Club can afford to pay for its floodlighting, flags and post protectors - and even grass-cutting
Credit : Gareth Iwan Jones
'If you look at the first team at present, the majority of those players have come through the minis and juniors at Wrexham. For the club to be sustainable, playing-wise and financially, it has to have a thriving junior section. We have 300-400 children playing and training every night, apart from Mondays.'
Understandably the club has become a huge part of his life. 'It means a great deal,' he continues. 'It's like a second family if you will.
'The sense of belonging, of family and also having fun means a huge amount to me. You see how much enjoyment the children get from it. I am a massive fan of fitness. When kids are running around, they usually have a smile on their faces.
'Volunteers are so important for a community club. There is not one person here who is paid, everybody is a volunteer and without those people the club doesn't breathe. The kids love their rugby.
'This club wouldn't be here without volunteers – that's the stark fact. Every age-group team needs at least 50 volunteers and then there are all the committees. The grass doesn't cut itself!'
As for many people, the life skills rugby teaches, such as respect, discipline and teamwork, are important to David.
'The values are everything to me,' he says. 'The values are what we teach children – respecting each other, respecting the opponents. I was brought up with values from rugby and it's great to still see them used today.
'The club is part of the community, and the community is part of the club, everybody benefits when those values are instilled in young kids. As a rugby coach it is not just about the rugby, it's about everyday values, behaviours on the pitch, off the pitch and behaviours they take away from the clubs and the game into the community and their schools. It's how they talk to people, how they talk to their parents. It helps give them confidence.
'As a club we have a strict policy with referees. Our players don't talk to referees, we just let them referee the game and that is our policy with all our children as well.
So how will the financial prize be used?
'Part of this award will help support the club whether it be flags or post protectors or somebody cutting the grass, it will help the club run. It will also help towards repairs. It all takes funding. For instance, it costs £75 to run the floodlights for a one-hour training session in the evening. You can imagine the cost of this club. We massively appreciate this.'
Making a difference
Go.Compare – a proud sponsor of the Welsh Rugby Union – partnered with Telegraph Media Group to launch its Making a Difference campaign, rewarding individuals who have made a major contribution to grassroots rugby. Read about the two other winners who have put their heart and soul into helping British clubs.
Go.Compare is a trading name of Gocompare.com Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 465053).