About $40,000 raised for recovery of Lismore sporting clubs

A FUNDRAISER lunch with some of the most famous names in Australian sport has raised about $40,000 for flood-affected Lismore.

Lismore Heights Sports Club hosted the event with former world No 1 tennis star Pat Rafter and cricket legends Greg Chappell and Jeff Thomson among the guest speakers.

All money raised will go towards the South Lismore Bowling Club and Lismore Rugby Union Club as they continue to rebuild from the recent floods.

"There was about 160 people and we sold it out in the end," event organiser John Bancroft said.

"We raised about $18,000 just out of the auctions alone which is fantastic."

There was a good cross-section of speakers at the event which also included Trevor Chappell and former Wallaby Toutai Kefu.

Kefu is currently coaching the Tongan national rugby team and was joined by former teammates Tom Bowman and Justin Harrison.

"Pat Rafter and Jeff Thomson did a piece together because they know each other quite well," Bancroft said.

"Thommo retold a story about the time he met the Queen, which was pretty funny,

"Justin Harrison did a set on his own and the Chappell's got up and did the cricket.

"All of the speakers had some sort of connection to the area and that did it all for free, too."

MC Evan Bancroft, Jeremy Bates and Brian McConnell helped organise the event.