A charity rugby match will honor the memory of a 13-year-old boy who was tragically killed. Olly Stephens was ambushed and fatally stabbed in Reading in 2021 over a social media dispute. Reading Rugby Football Club (RFC) will host the third annual Olly Stephens Memorial Cup at 11:00 BST in Berkshire, aiming to raise funds for three charities. Amanda Stephens, Olly’s mother, stated that the event would be “bittersweet” for her family, but they hoped to keep their son’s legacy alive.
Olly used to train with Reading Abbey RFC, one of the competing teams in the match. “We want that connection to the rugby community,” Mrs Stephens stated. “But the children playing will be the age he was… so it’s very hard not to look amongst those children’s faces and look for him.” The first Olly Stephens Memorial Cup took place in 2022, and this year’s event will feature a raffle and collection buckets raising money for No5, a community-based organization offering counseling to young people, the anti-knife crime charity The Ben Kinsella Trust, and Parenting Special Children, which assists families with special needs children.
Mrs Stephens said Olly would have thought the event was “a lot of fuss” but that he would have been “pleased” with the funds raised and “would love the fact that it’s about a competition.” “We are just pleased that it means his legacy will live on,” she added. The trophy, according to Olly’s mother, is “highly sought after” by both teams, and she urged spectators to contribute to the charities, aiming to raise £1,000 between them.
The tragic case of Olly highlights the importance of educating people about the potential risks on social media. Although social media platforms have many benefits, they have also been linked to negative consequences, including mental health problems, cyberbullying, and in rare cases, violence. In light of these risks, it is essential to continue promoting safe and responsible use of social media, particularly among young people. Events like the Olly Stephens Memorial Cup offer an opportunity to highlight these issues and encourage charitable donations that help make a difference in people’s lives
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