STAFF at a Devon tyre specialist presented Tavistock Rugby Club with a cheque for £1,500.

The money was donated by the team at Tavistock Tyres to the club at Sandy Park on Trelawny Road as part of a sponsorship deal for the season.

Tim Schmid, manager of Tavistock Tyres on Plymouth Road Industrial Estate, which is part of the Protyre Group, said: 'We have been supporting Tavistock Rugby Club since September last year and are delighted to have made this donation.

'We have been the main sponsors for the first XV team, which includes sponsoring the players' shirts, and the money we have provided will help the club throughout the 2011/2012 season.

'The club has a great atmosphere and the players support our business by using our services at the outlet so it's a pleasure to help them.'

The Tavistock Rugby Club was founded in 1971 and today consists of more than 200 members.

Jeff Lawson, secretary of Tavistock Rugby Club, told the Times: 'On behalf of the club, I would like to say a big "thank you" to the team at Tavistock Tyres for donating such a fantastic amount of money to us. It's great to have the support of such a proactive company and we look forward to working with them more in the future.'