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Rugby Sevens legends back #TargetEbola Campaign

17 | 11 | 2014

Rugby Sevens legends Waisale Serevi and Ben Gollings have thrown their weight behind the WOA’s #TargetEbola campaign in a show of sporting solidarity. The former flying Fijian and his English counterpart have urged Olympians and the wider sporting community around the world to unite behind #TargetEbola to combat the spread of the virus in West Africa.

Waisale Serevi is widely regarded as one of the greatest Sevens players ever with an international career which spanned 17 years from 1990-2007. In a video statement to Olympians and the sporting movement around the world, Serevi said:

“Rugby Sevens has given me the opportunity to meet people from all countries and all walks of life. Through sport I have friends all over the world. Our friends from Sierra Leone need our help. Please help them fight Ebola. Please help save lives and stop the spread. Please support the #TargetEbola campaign. Please give generously at targetebola.org/donate.”

Former England Sevens captain Ben Gollings, who was a standout player on the World Sevens Series circuit for over decade and remains the all-time leading points scorer said in his video statement:

 “The news from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea is just so sad. Millions of people whose lives are in jeopardy, who are living in fear. People dying of Ebola and because of Ebola, because there are not enough doctors, nurses, medicines, hospital beds, thermometers, you name it and they need it. Please support our sporting colleagues and their families and friends and neighbours in need. Publicise #TargetEbola on your social media and get your friends to donate at targetebola.org/donate.”

The #TargetEbola campaign was launched last month following an appeal to the WOA from two-time Sierra Leone Olympian Dr Francis Dove Edwin to help raise funds. Since then the WOA has joined forces with Oxfam, a world leader in emergency response, and US-based humanitarian organisation, Medisend International, to deliver much needed supplies to West Africa.

The Rugby stars join a growing list of Olympians already supporting the #TargetEbola campaign, including six-time Olympic Gold Medallist Usain Bolt, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Carl Lewis, Sergey Bubka, Claudia Bokel, Koji Murofushi, Pernilla Wiberg and Yang Yang.

The WOA is appealing to the rest of its 100,000 strong Olympian community around the world to get involved and promote #TargetEbola, the donation link,www.targetebola.org/donate, and the SMS details, Text TARGET to 70066 [UK only], by posting selfies via social media.

The #TargetEbola selfie kit can be downloaded here: www.targetebola.org/selfie

Olympians and the general public are encouraged to print off the kit and pose for a selfie. Alternatively anyone can write #TargetEbola, www.targetebola.org/donate and the SMS number on a piece of paper and take a selfie with it.