Young and old show team spirit
Up and down the country rugby clubs are helping their communities and the NHS, and trying to keep up team spirit.
Adults have been rolling up their sleeves but young players have been encouraged to do their bit too.
More than 1,000 miles
The Under 11s team from St Mary’s RFC missed their rugby tour this year and their coach Mark Haagensen wanted the team to stay engaged and work together on a virtual tour.
They decided to try to raise £500 by travelling the equivalent distance from the club to Paris, some 400 miles. Every day the boys clocked up the miles either cycling, walking, or using cross trainers during their allocated hour’s exercise a day. Mark’s son Harry was aiming for 10k a day and the team all got behind the scheme, soon smashing 400 miles.
Each night parents reported distances covered to Mark and he sent back a map showing the team where they had reached. They decided to go beyond Paris to Luxembourg. Not stopping there, they headed to Brussels and on to Amsterdam, another 490 miles.
They got to Amsterdam and decided that wasn’t enough. After smashing the 1,000 miles barrier, clocking a massive 63.2 miles in one day, they had travelled 1,019 miles, so just 26 miles to Düsseldorf! Having reached Dusseldorf, they had raised over £2,155 by the Bank Holiday weekend, which will go to nurses and carers.
“Despite not being able to be together I wanted them to still work together as a team during lockdown,” said Mark. “They have done fantastically well and I’m just so proud of them and their teamwork.” Check out St Mary's progress here.
Running to his Rugby Club
Eight-year-old Elliott Murphy decided to run, not around Europe, but the whole 11K to his rugby club.
Inspired by his rugby hero Elliott Daly’s fitness, he wanted to stay fit and was missing his rugby. His dad Ed, minis coach and chairman at Fordingbridge rugby club, agreed that Elliott could take on the challenge of running to the club and raise funds for the Trussell Trust foodbanks.
Followed by dad and his six-year-old brother Owen on his bike, Elliott set a brisk pace. Locals in the New Forest turned out to cheer him on as he made the distance in one hour and three minutes, sprinting the last lap across the pitches to the clubhouse.
He still had the energy to throw a rugby ball about with his brother before heading home and watching the fundraising total reach £1,800.
Trussell Trust sent him a big thank you and the money will go to the local food bank where Fordingbridge minis have sent food donation in the past, with 350 kilos collected at one Sunday training session for Christmas parcels. Click here to see how the fundraising is going.
All the way to the USA
May the 1st and they were off! Teams vying to be first to cover the 3,200 miles from Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA.
US Portsmouth RFC, led by former England Rugby Community Rugby Coach Nick Parker, laid down the challenge which has attracted club and university players across the area to make a competitive effort while rugby is locked down.
Using the regulation hour-long exercise allowed each day a day makes the challenge appeal to people wanting to get out and exercise regularly to benefit their physical and mental health. Add the chance to compete as a team against others, and it provides the competitive edge and motivation to keep going.
The target works out as about 128 miles per person on foot and organisers feel a 25-strong team could manage it with a 4 mph walking pace each day. The trick is for every team member to keep going. The race should last for the full 30 days and is inclusive, requires teamwork and a bit of good natured competition. Most importantly, it is fun.
Team captains estimate distances covered in an hour or team members take screenshots or photos of their distance to share with the team and add to the total. And at the same time as keeping fit, teams will be raising funds for NHS Charities.
Bourneville rugby club decided to run the distance between the mot northern and southern NHS hospitals, 1,500km from Caithness to Cornwall to raise money for the club and the NHS. In just seven days they had raised almost £3,000.
Food Bank Help
Ellingham & Ringwood have been opening up the club carpark every Saturday morning for people to drop off supplies for the Ringwood Foodbank. Using links to the Caritas charity, they’ve broadened donations beyond club members. After collecting 120kg of food on one Saturday alone, the foodbank sent them a certificate thanking them.
“I hope we can keep this going throughout and possibly beyond this difficult period and build a stronger community,” said Mark Johnson.
Through rewarding grassroots volunteers with its Volunteer Recognition Programme, England Rugby’s Performance Partner Mitsubishi Motors in the UK is proud to support and develop rugby volunteers nationwide. To find out more, please visit www.englandrugby.com/mmvrp
