Memorial bench to remember Zak unveiled

18-year-old Zak Elderton passed away earlier this year, following a road traffic collision.

In the summer, a group of his friends and students walked 23 miles to raise money to purchase a memorial bench in his memory, raising more than £2,500.

This week, the bench was officially unveiled, and members of Zak’s family invited to receive one of Zak’s shirts, that had been specially framed.

Zak’s bench, which takes pride of place overlooking the main rugby pitch at Myerscough’s main Bilsborrow campus, was blessed by College Chaplain, Reverend Garry Whittaker.

The inscription on the bench reads: ‘’In memory of Zak Elderton (Reggie). Those we miss don’t go away, they play beside us every day. Rest in peace #4Zak13.’’

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Staff and students come together to pay tribute to Zak

We will remember Zak as a most pleasant young man, always respectful, kind and polite and an absolute credit to his family.

Zak loved playing rugby for the College and had a real flair for it. He always wanted the best for himself and the team and was always motivated to improve and win. After every training session or match he would ask ‘how can I get better, what do I need to do, what can I work on?’. He was determined not to let his team and the coaches down and gave everything he could while playing for the College.

Zak was a great pleasure to teach and coach and we will be forever grateful to Zak for his efforts and determination both on and off the pitch. We will all miss his strength of character, sense of fun, warmth and can-do attitude. Zak was a true character who will be sadly missed by us all.

Our rugby students are now even more determined to go out and win their remaining fixtures this year in memory of Zak – to show up individually and collectively and do their best, just as Zak did every day.

We are incredibly proud of the young man Zak had become. He was a great ambassador for Myerscough Rugby and for the College as a whole.