Thirteen people will cycle more than 250 miles to Paris to mark a rugby club’s 25th anniversary.
The team at Chess Valley RFC will embark on the ride from their home ground at Croxley Guild of Sport on June 3, finishing at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday.
On the way, the group of players, coaches, support crew and the club chairman will stop off at 25 grassroots rugby clubs.
The 255-mile ride will be in aid of three charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Whizz-Kids, and the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation.
Team captain Andy Smith said: “We have been training very hard for this ride, and we needed to. We are a few years away from our peaks, and most of us are built more for the Tower of Power than the Tour de France.
“One hundred miles and 17 rugby clubs on day 1 will keep us busy, but the overnight ferry followed by another 155 miles will then challenge us a little more. But the support we have received has been superb, from the Chess Valley RFC community, from friends, and from dozens of other clubs on the route or local to us here in Hertfordshire.
“We’ve even had support from some English rugby stars. We are all cycling with huge pride as we raise money for three important charities.”
Among the 25 clubs the team will visit along the away are Met Police RFC and East Grinstead RFC, in honour of police sergeant Matt Ratana, who was shot inside a police custody facility in London in 2020.
The Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation, which the squad will be raising money for alongside two other charities, exists to support rugby initiatives in schools and in the community.
Several of the Chess Valley RFC team are also Metropolitan Police officers.
Andy added: “Our aim is to raise as much money as possible for these causes, but also to celebrate the importance of grassroots rugby in the community. The perfect way to mark Chess Valley’s 25th year.”
To support the team and donate to their challenge visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/chessvalleyvelos
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here