Hearts + Balls was conceived in 1999 when a player from the Lismore Rugby Club in Edinburgh suffered a serious spinal injury that left him paralysed.
Having run a highly successful appeal, Lismore decided to widen its support to cover other players impacted by serious injury or illness. Thus, Hearts + Balls came into being with the aim of ‘helping rugby help its own’.
Since its beginnings in 1999, we have donated in the region of £450,000 to rugby players and their families. Through advice and advocacy, we also help them identify and apply for funds from other sources.