Matt Dun humbled as Hunter Rugby backs cause close to heart with inaugural RUN DIPG round

Hunter Rugby Union (HRU) will host its inaugural RUN DIPG round, the charity Dun founded to raise awareness and funds for research into chidren's brain cancer.

A biomedical scientist associate professor, it has been Dun's mission to find a cure for the disease, which took his daughter's life in December 2019 aged four.

Players in premier, women and divisional competitions will wear RUN DIPG socks and a number of fundraising activities will be held at grounds across the union.

"I am sincerely appreciative of how the rugby community has supported our mission to develop treatment for these kids," Dun said. "It has been humbling and very unexpected."

HRU endorsed RUN DIPG as a charity partner this season, but the sport has a longer connection with the foundation.

University and Maitland play for the Josie Dun Cup, Merewether raised $8000 though its Grommets program this year, the Hunter Wildfires are a charity partner and many individuals from the rugby fraternity have jumped behind the cause.

"People will see the socks this weekend and say what is DIPG. That is the question we want people to ask," Dun said. "When Josie was diagnosed it was, what the? We have lost six kids in the Hunter in the last four years."

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Dun, 44, has devoted the past five years to finding a cure for the vicious cancer that accounts for one in five childhood deaths in Australia each year..

As well as aid that mission, rugby is a release for Dun, who assists Uni first grade coach and friend Sam Berry.

"For three hours a week, I am not thinking about DIPG," said Dun, who retired from playing in 2014. "It brings me some normality and it is nice to be around the boys. Being such a young, enthusiastic team and watching them improve is rewarding.

"One of the things about Josie's journey was that we never gave up. That is a philosophy I try and pass on to our guys.

"The teams we were successful in, we never blew the opposition off the park, but we stuck at it for 80 minutes and we would win in the end. I have been trying to instil a bit of belief and pass on some of the tricks of the trade that you learn from playing higher rep footy."

While helping the Students, Dun is always looking ahead to the next project.

He completed the Gold Coast Marathon last month as part of RUN DIPG team. That effort raised $60,000.

"There is a fantastic charity called Charlie's Run for Kids," Dun said. "They support families who go through a kid's cancer journey.

"There were about 20 from that foundation who were part of the RUN DIPG at the Gold Coast Marathon and raised a ton of money. Next year I will do their 150km Charlie's Run For Kids from Seal Rocks to Dudley to support them."

RUN DIPG has contributed more than $1.7million into research and support since it was registered and 90 per cent of that has come from the community.

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