Yorkshire RFU

Oli Garrick and Junior Arthritis

One of Driffield RUFC’s junior players has been raising awareness of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis to support other children.

At the start of the 2024-25 season, Oliver ‘Oli’ Garrick, who plays for the Under 14s, was often seen at home games and at training on Sunday mornings on crutches. He had taken a light tackle and his limp progressed to not being able to move, walk or get out of bed.

Countless doctors and hospital stays resulted in a trip to Leeds General Hospital to see the Rheumatology Department. They assessed him and diagnosed him with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Medication started immediately with surgery a week later.

As soon as he could, he was back on the touchline to support his team. Seven months later and the medication and treatment have continued, and Oliver was back training, going to the gym, playing Touch Rugby and starting with North East Raiders Touch Rugby.

Oliver said : “I wanted to help other kids like me, that are scared about what is happening to them”.

Oliver approached the club to ask if he could run a raffle and hand out a few flyers to raise awareness that children get arthritis and being a rugby player with the condition is tough. He did this on a 1st XV home game when 180 guests were sitting down for a pre-match lunch. The support and engagement given by the club and its guests far exceeded anything he could have wished for.

The club also donated an auction lot for a table of ten for a pre-match lunch at a Sportsman’s Dinner held at the club. The proceeds from the sale of the lot went to Oliver’s fund-raising.

To date, he has raised over £4,000 with lots of people getting involved on the day and since. All the money raised has gone to Juvenile Arthritis Research - https://www.jarproject.org/home - the charity that support Oliver and children like him, to fund research into the condition.

Following local newspaper coverage, Oliver is involved in a research study by Sheffield Hallam University about his condition with to further support the testing of aids and devises that help children and those in sport.

The club has also supported Oliver to do his volunteer hours for his Duke of Edinburgh Award at the club, through helping with car parking, glass collecting and other volunteer tasks.

A few weeks ago, Radio Humberside visited the club to interview Oliver, and the Under 14 coaches, and told him he is one of four ‘Young Hero’ finalists in the 2025 Make a Difference Awards. You can hear the interview at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0lsqj3y

His mother, Clare Garrick, said : “He is such an amazing young man. We can’t thank the club, the men’s and women’s 1st XVs and many others for their support and encouragement. What they have done has given Oli a positive goal to aim for. Without the club’s support and the many people in the room tonight it wouldn’t be possible.”

Paul Dervey, Chair of Mini Junior Rugby said : “Everyone down here was so disappointed when he heard about his diagnosis, and wanted him to support him as best we could. His dedication and positive attitude is a real credit to him.”

You can read more about Oli’s story at https://www.jarproject.org/news/2025/oli