Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
The Grove hosted the England squad who spent time with PCA and partners
The PCA Team England Golf day, sponsored by IG, was held at The Grove in Hertfordshire on Monday for the first time since the Covid pandemic with the current England Test side discussing all things cricket with PCA staff and sponsors.
Players met up on Sunday evening ahead of the final Specsavers Test match of the summer and spent time with the PCA across the two days. Families of players were also in attendance as the squad got together with their players’ association and commercial partners, including Castor, J.Lindeberg, Chapel Down and TaylorMade.
The second cinch team on the day consisting of Sam Purvey, Craig Purvey, Paul Gilsham and Joe Root walked away with the main award of an overnight stay at The Grove. Whilst Craig Purvey took the individual prize of a TaylorMade Stealth driver for scoring net seven under par and 43 stableford points.
PCA Chief Executive, Rob Lynch, said:
“It’s the first time we’ve been able to put this event on with the England squad since the 2019 World Cup so it’s great to be able to get the current England team, former players, the ECB and the game’s commercial partners here for such a joyous occasion.”
Current cinch PCA Men’s Player of the Year Root and his team won the event but the day was about more than that for him:
“The work that the PCA do is fantastic, not only for us current professionals but also for the past players. It doesn’t matter how many professional games you’ve played, whether it be for your county or for England, they’ll always be there as a support network which we are all very grateful for and as players we are very lucky to have the PCA, so it’s always a pleasure taking part in the golf day.”
Nick Higgins, Head of UK Marketing for IG, the lead sponsors of the event, said:
“As a supporter of the PCA, ECB and the players, we’ve had a great day. Being able to play with the England captain was great, he certainly kept our spirits up when the golf wasn’t going our way. But as a commercial partner it’s great to be at a day like this, we’ve not only enjoyed the golf, but also the conversations with other partners and it was an enjoyable day had by all.”
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), founded in 1967 by former England fast bowler Fred Rumsey as the Cricketers’ Association, represents past and present first-class cricketers in England and Wales. In the 1970s, the PCA established a standard employment contract and minimum wage for professional cricketers. It also helped create a pension scheme in 1995 and launched the magazine All Out Cricket and the ACE UK Educational Programme in 2002.
