Suttonians RFC was honoured to welcome the New Zealand Ambassador Angela Hassan-Sharp, the British Ambassador Kara Owen and the Japanese Ambassador Miyagawa Manabu to the club on Saturday, 18 July, ahead of the New Zealand v Ireland Nations Championship match.

The club hosted the three Ambassadors for breakfast, providing us with a fantastic opportunity to welcome them to Suttonians RFC and showcase the important role our rugby club plays within the local community.
Ambassador Angela Hassan-Sharp and Ambassador Kara Owen, with two young Suttonians RFC members at the breakfast

It was particularly special to welcome the New Zealand Ambassador Angela Hassan-Sharp given the strong ties Suttonians RFC has built, and continues to maintain, with rugby clubs in New Zealand.

As part of the morning, we received a special video message from our own Men's Senior players, Simon Cantwell and Ponamu Palazzeti, who are currently benefiting from the Ronnie Maher Fund while playing rugby with Linwood in Christchurch, New Zealand.

They were joined in the video by former Suttonians players Aaron Mauger and Richie Curry and others, who helped extend a very special welcome from New Zealand and wished the Ambassadors an enjoyable morning at Suttonians.

The visit was a brilliant opportunity to showcase Suttonians RFC, our international rugby connections and, most importantly, the incredible community that has been built around our club.

The morning also had an important charitable element, with the breakfast raising just under €1,450 for Variety Ireland. Variety is a global children’s charity that supports children who are sick, disadvantaged or living with disabilities. Here in Ireland, Variety supports a range of initiatives, including providing upcycled adaptive trikes, communication and educational devices, as well as funding inclusive cycling centres and community projects.
From left to right; Japanese Ambassador Miyagawa Manabu, British Ambassador Kara Owen, New Zealand Ambassador Angela Hassan-Sharp and SRFC Suttonians President 2026/27 Gerry Ussher

Raising such a fantastic amount for a worthy cause added another special dimension to the occasion and made an already memorable morning at Suttonians RFC even more meaningful.

We would like to sincerely thank the New Zealand, Japanese and British Ambassadors for taking the time to visit Suttonians RFC. We would also like to thank all of our members who helped make it such a memorable morning and who represented our club and community with such pride.