Rugby and Olympic Stars Raise Over £90,000 for Bath Rugby Foundation

Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell alongside, former England and Bath Rugby players Lewis Moody, Danny Grewcock, David Flatman and Bath legend Andy Beatti, have raised an incredible £92,500 for the Bath Rugby Foundation after completing the gruelling nine day Deloitte Ride Across Britain cycle challenge.

Over 80 Bath Rugby Foundation cyclists took part in ride from the 8th to 16th June. 34 riders completed the gruelling challenge of cycling for the entire nine days, a total distance of 982 miles.

An additional 36 cyclists, including Bath Rugby Chief Executive Nick Blofeld, cycled from Wincanton to Land's End, over two days. A further 11 local cyclists spent the day cycling with the group from Ludlow to Wincanton.

Whilst enjoying some breathtaking scenery, the group also faced the tough challenge of cycling up to 122 miles a day, often into a headwind and frequently in heavy rain, only to sleep in a tent in the middle of a field at the end of it.

At the finish line, after he’d caught his breath, Danny said: “I've faced some pretty tough challenges in my time, but this is by far the toughest. Cycling over 100 miles a day, knowing when you finish that you have to get up at 5am and do the same again the next day is both physically and mentally draining, so the feeling of having got to this point is a mix of incredible pride at completing such a gruelling challenge, and relief that we won't have to be getting back on the bikes tomorrow!"

"I have a huge amount of admiration for everyone involved in the ride, both on the cycling side of things and the organisation itself, and would like to thank all our supporters for their fantastic generosity in donating to this very worthwhile cause – that's what kept us going every day."

Setting an inspirational example for the rest of Foundation team was Bath Rugby Strength and Conditioning Coach, Matt Middleton, who consistently finished each daily stage in the top ten riders and was one of the first riders in on the final day.

All the hard-earned funds raised will help the Bath Rugby Foundation change the lives of many children and young people in the local area. 

Donations can still be made to the riders and the Bath Rugby Foundation online at:
www.justgiving.com/brf