RugbyWA is set to host its annual Belt Up Round this weekend, in partnership with the Insurance Commission of Western Australia.
The annual Belt Up Round is a statewide initiative, extending to all regional and metropolitan games in Western Australian rugby. The Insurance Commission’s Belt Up message promotes wearing a seat belt every time you get into a vehicle. Each year, around 100 people are killed or seriously injured on WA roads while not wearing a seatbelt. Wearing a seatbelt can reduce the severity of injury in a crash.
Throughout RugbyWA’s eleven-year partnership with the Insurance Commission, over $3 million in funding has been provided to RugbyWA and the grassroots community. More than 25,000 rugby balls and 3,000 pieces of other equipment including tackle shields, goal post wraps, training bibs and gear bags, have been delivered to clubs throughout the State, delivering the Belt Up message directly to the rugby community.
In 2025, the partnership has been extended to reach the Southwest region over the next two years, including annual funding for an additional 300 Belt Up-branded rugby balls, and equipment for regional clubs.
The Belt Up message also targets high risk demographics with the continued sponsorship of the Belt Up Colts competition, encouraging better road behaviour and safety in the Under 20 demographic.
RugbyWA Chief Executive Officer, Simon Taylor said: “The partnership with the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and Belt Up has been an incredible benefit for the entirety of the rugby community in Western Australia for the past eleven years.”
“The annual Belt Up Round provides an excellent opportunity for the community to engage with the Belt Up message, showcasing the importance of road safety and safe travel. With a continuously expanding member base throughout Western Australia, the Belt Up Round is imperative in promoting positive, safe road behaviour as participants travel to-and-from games throughout Metropolitan Perth and the Southwest.”
“The Belt Up campaign is an important initiative to encourage the use of seatbelts, every time you get into a car, to reduce preventable injuries and fatalities resulting from crashes,” said Rod Whithear, Chief Executive at the Insurance Commission. “Our partnership with RugbyWA provides branded balls and equipment to assist community clubs and help push this important message to the rugby community as they travel to and from games. We’d much rather see you on the field than end up as a statistic. Play it safe and belt up!”
Belt Up Round will kick off on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Hosted at Palmyra Rugby Club, Palmyra will face Wanneroo Districts live on Stan.
Seatbelts save lives. Belt Up every time.
