Bodey Eelkema's New Zealand Rugby Trip

This summer, I have the opportunity to travel to New Zealand with the UCSC Men's and Women's Rugby program for an international educational and athletic development experience.

Our team will participate in a preseason academy with Bay of Plenty Rugby, one of New Zealand's premier rugby organizations, while also engaging with the University of Waikato and experiencing New Zealand's unique culture and history.

This opportunity is about much more than rugby. It is an opportunity to develop leadership skills, learn from world-class coaches and educators, experience a new culture, and represent UC Santa Cruz on an international stage. For many of us, this will be our first opportunity to travel abroad.

Each participant is responsible for raising $2,500 to help cover the costs of the program. Your support will help make this experience possible and ensure that financial barriers do not prevent students from participating.

Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference. Thank you for supporting my educational and athletic journey and helping me represent UCSC in New Zealand. Go Slugs!

Funds raised through this campaign support the Rugby New Zealand trip collectively. Individual student fundraising totals reflect participation and community support, but do not designate funds directly to individual students or their travel costs.