Husbands who own Keighley Cougars rugby club arrive in Ukraine to deliver kits to national team (EXCLUSIVE)
"Our mission is to give them back some sense of normality," say Ryan O’Neill and Kaue Garcia
By Aaron Sugg
Keighley Cougars Rugby League Club owners Ryan O’Neill and Kaue Garcia have travelled to Ukraine to personally deliver kits to the country’s national rugby league team, in a show of solidarity as the war with Russia continues.
The move follows a recent episode of Channel 4’s The Last Leg, in which host Adam Hills and guest Alastair Campbell highlighted the Ukrainian team’s struggle for basic resources.
After a public appeal for help, O’Neill reached out within hours — offering to produce kits for all levels of the Ukrainian rugby league, from under-12s to the senior squad.
The pair departed on Monday 14 July, flying to Poland before boarding a 15-hour bus journey into Ukraine.
Arriving in the war-torn country this morning (15 July), the couple were soon to take to social media to document their journey. In a video posted to their Instagram Story, the sound of sirens could be heard from their hotel room.
Speaking exclusively to Attitude from Kyiv, Kaue said: “We are proud to have made and donated playing kits for all age groups from juniors through to the senior Ukrainian players.
“The people clearly yearn for their normal lives back”
“Getting the kits into Ukraine was a logistical nightmare – international couriers are not operating. That’s why we decided the most secure way was to bring them to Kyiv and give to the players personally.
“We have found an incredible stoicism here in Kyiv. The city feels vibrant, albeit tense. The people clearly yearn for their normal lives back. By kitting out the players, from kids to adults, our mission is to give them back some sense of normality.”
The husbands will meet players and junior teams tomorrow during a training session, where they’ll distribute kits and “hopefully out smiles on people’s faces,” they told Attitude.
Before making the trip to Ukraine, Ryan said in a statement: “We wanted to help from the moment we saw the episode and thought about how we could make a difference.
“Not only have we produced the kits for free, but we’ve also launched a special replica shirt that reads ‘We Stand With Ukraine’ — and every penny from those sales will go directly to support the Ukrainian national team.”
Their trip is the latest in a series of humanitarian and community-led initiatives the couple have undertaken since they took over Keighley Cougars in 2019.
Previously Keighley Cougars Rugby League Club raised over £10,000 for NHS hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, donated PPE to care homes, launched the world’s first Pride rugby league match, and offered free PE lessons to local schools.