Two of the Scarlets’ leading players have been chosen as the faces of the 2012 World Book Day Campaign in Wales.
Over 15,000 World Book Day campaign posters featuring Rhys Priestland and George North will be distributed throughout Wales in the run up to the World Book Day on March 1st.
According to Rhys Priestland , “It’s a great privilege to be chosen for the World Book Day 2012 poster campaign. As sportsmen we spend a great deal of time training for a match or tournament, but in my down time I enjoy reading – either a rugby magazine, news online, catching up with friends and fans on social media sites or any biographies.”
World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. The event in Wales sees thousands of children mark the day by taking part in reading activities and events, bringing their favourite book to school or dressing up as their favourite book characters. As well as celebrating reading, the day also highlights the importance of reading as an essential life-skill.
According to Scarlets’ wing, George North, “We’ve had a fantastic afternoon here at Parc y Scarlets taking photos ready for the World Book Day posters. Reading is an important skill whichever job you choose, but it is also a great way to relax after a hard day’s training. As a professional rugby player I enjoy reading rugby magazines as well as match reports to find out what is going on in the world around us. I enjoy books with a bit of adventure in them, like the book I’m currently reading – At 61 degrees – which is all about achieving personal goals and being the best you can be.”
The World Book Day posters will be distributed to every school in Wales as well as libraries, book shops, prisons and workplaces.
Delyth Humphreys, World Book Day Co-ordinator for Wales, commented, “We are so glad to have both Rhys and George from the Scarlets as our World Book Day poster personalities. They played fantastically for Wales during the World Cup, they are both keystone players for the Scarlets and are an inspiration to youngsters throughout Wales.”
“World Book Day celebrates the importance of reading – from books and magazines to newspapers and the internet, reading is a vital life-skill that affects our lives every day. It is important that youngsters are inspired to start reading and we are grateful that Rhys and George are leading the way.”
