Roar Power from Moortown RFC
With the British & Irish Lions and South Africa Rugby intent on delivering the Castle Lager Lions Series in South Africa in July and August, an intrepid band of runners are already around halfway there.
Moortown RUFC in West Yorkshire are running a Moortown to Cape Town challenge, using Strava to clock the kilometres, and they were somewhere around Chad at the last count covering over 6000 kms to date.
Said club chairman Carl Thewlis-Johns: “The 13,500 kms is a massive ask but we are very confident. The challenge has been part of our Crowdfunding campaign which saw us raise more than £17,000 to keep the club going, with income having stopped due to Covid-19.”
The British & Irish Lions have toured South Africa on 13 previous occasions, the first in 1891. Moortown RUFC is now in its 87th year and has been part of the local community since 1934.
They pride themselves on welcoming players, spectators and friends from all backgrounds, walks of life and communities and now, spurred on by their Colts’ effort, players from the U12s to the First XV, supporters and Committee members have been racking up the kilometres and helping their club.
The aim is to reach Cape Town just in time for the first Test for the Lions v South Africa and have the Clubs’ minis in Lions and club shirts covering the last half kilometre before, hopefully, everyone sharing a barbecue and watching the match.
Apart from this concerted club effort, Moortown have been involved in a community effort to help the NHS. Junior Committee member Marie Wepener, helped by Mags Mairead Lahart, set up a Scrubs for Yorkshire hub at the clubhouse, people donating fabric – Minions or Superheroes were common place - and sewing scrubs either on site or from home.
Said chairman Carl: “It’s been amazing. Having been meant to last six weeks they are still going and have now distributed some 75,000 sets of scrubs to the NHS.”
