For Owen Jones, rugby has always been about more than what happens between the first whistle and the last. After a season on the sidelines, he knows that better than ever. And while he's been busy getting back on the pitch, he has also offered to put his carpentry skills to good use around the club and will be helping with the changing room developments when they start.

Meet the Player: Owen Jones

At 24, Owen plays inside centre for Eastbourne RFC and works as a carpenter by trade. Away from rugby, he enjoys golf, which he takes far too seriously, and padel, an obsession that has taken hold over the last year. His golf handicap? Scratch. So, safe to say, he's not just turning up for a casual round.

His favourite position is inside centre, because, as Owen puts it, there's nowhere to hide at twelve.

But rugby has meant a little more to him since a hernia kept him out for a season. He expected to miss the games most of all. Instead, it was the Tuesday nights in the rain, the changing room before kick-off, the lads taking the mickey and the pint afterwards, whatever the result, that he found himself missing.

The rugby is the excuse; the rest is the reason.

It's a reminder of what makes a club like Eastbourne RFC special. The friendships, the laughs and the sense of belonging are every bit as important as the rugby itself.

Owen has also been impressed by the progress of the women's section, with the standard improving enormously and the growth of the team changing the feel of the whole club. It's something he's keen to support further, and he'd love to get involved in coaching with the women at some point.

More Than a Player: Giving Back to the Club

Owen's offer to help with the changing room redevelopments once they're full underway is exactly the sort of contribution that helps a community rugby club grow. Players, coaches, volunteers and supporters all have a part to play, and sometimes the biggest contributions happen away from matchday.

Meet the Sponsor: Hayes Electrical

Supporting Owen is Hayes Electrical, a business providing high-quality electrical work across domestic, commercial and industrial settings.

With customer safety at the heart of every installation, Hayes Electrical takes pride in delivering work to a high standard and ensuring customers are satisfied with the finished result.

For Jamie Hayes, word of mouth has proved to be the business's biggest source of work, reflecting the importance of doing a good job and building a reputation customers are happy to recommend.

This is Hayes Electrical's first time sponsoring a player at Eastbourne RFC, with Jamie keen to support both the club and the wider local community.

As Jamie explains, sponsoring a local club offers a great opportunity to promote the business while helping provide much-needed funding for grassroots sport.

His message to other local businesses is simple: "jump aboard and help local sports with the funding they need."

We're grateful to Jamie and Hayes Electrical for supporting Owen and Eastbourne RFC. Local sponsorship helps keep community rugby moving forward, both on and off the pitch.

To find out more about Hayes Electrical, or to discuss your electrical requirements, contact Jamie Hayes on 07852 413759.