A football team in Reading who have the aim of trying to help people lose weight and live healthier lives has been invited to fly out to play football on the trip of a lifetime.
Named Reading XL FC, the team has been supported by the Dave Kitson Academy and have been invited to fly out to Micronesia in Nauru to play against the Nauru national team in what would be their first ever match.
The team will be setting up a crowdfunding page soon to help them fly out to Nauru.
Reading legend Kitson is also the manager of Nauru and is trying to promote a nature of health and wellbeing across the island as part of his role with the national side.
Speaking to BBC Berkshire Radio, team founder Tom Giles said: “XL FC is a dedicated weight loss group of mainly 20 to 50 year old men. We play football to lose weight and have a weight loss league. We’ve been going for nearly two years.
“Most guys struggle to lose weight on their own so being part of a team is real encouragement for the guys to keep losing weight.
“We have regular training sessions every week and are trying to improve in every way we can.
“We play against other like minded teams in the south.”
“Nauru is a tiny island off of north east Australia with a very high obesity rate.
“The whole reason why Dave Kitson has asked us is because he wants to leave a legacy the same that we are doing in Berkshire currently. We’re trying to get people fitter and more active.
“They haven’t got a national team at the moment, they’re currently building it so it’s a real opportunity.
“It will be this year some time, we’ve currently got a fundraising page and will try our best to get as many funds as we can.”
To donate, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/reading-xl-fc-v-dave-kitsons-nauru-national-team?member=34983447&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer
