Mass rugby relay across Britain to raise money to fight MND

Clubs from around the country are to come together and help people living with motor neurone disease

From Twickenham and back again: The Longest Try will cover hundreds of miles around Britain

GET on your marks for a record-breaking run around the country. The Longest Try is taking place from Monday July 24 to Saturday August 12, 2023 – a mass participation relay run carrying and passing a rugby ball from Twickenham to Murrayfield, to Cardiff and back again – which will be one of the largest rugby charity fundraising events in history. And local rugby club participation is the only way this event will be a national success.

The event is attempting to set a few world records along the way and participating clubs will be in the history books. The Longest Try MND Associ- is in support of the ation, Gloucester Rugby Founda- tion, Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation with donations to MND Scotland and My Name’5 Doddie Foundation with funds raised used to support people living with motor neurone disease.

Former England national coach Dick Best warmly welcomed the initiative. “The Longest Try reaches deep into the rugby family,” he said. “This is a chance for rugby support- ers from across the country to make a real and impactful difference to the lives of people living with motor neurone disease.”

Gloucester second row, Ed Slater, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in July last year. Paul Rendall, ‘The Judge’, Wasps and England prop, has also recently been diagnosed. Best added: “Paul was one of the stars of England rugby – a formidable and technically gifted prop and one of the truly great characters of the game. He’s loved by everyone and the diagnosis of MND has devastated us all.”

The Longest Try will spread through- out the rugby community and clubs supporting the event will make a huge and lasting impact to the fundraising efforts.

Former England international Sue Dorrington, the event creator and organiser who was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2022, said: “I am organising The Longest Try in support of people living with motor neurone disease. I worked for the MND Association for over six years and I saw how devastating this disease is to individuals living with MND, their family and friends.

“I have also spent the last 40 years in the charity event fundraising industry, and I am passionate about organising events that make a real and significant difference.

“I also know the world of rugby union. I was a founder member of Richmond Women’s RFC and went on to play for every representative side in the UK to include England, Great Britain, and the British Lionesses for over 10 years. I was one of four women who organised the first-ever women’s Rugby World Cup in Cardiff in 1991 and held my place throughout the tournament.”

In action: Gloucester second row Ed Slater was diagnosed with MND last summer

The Judge: Prop Paul Rendall in his days with England

The relay run will start at Twickenham Stadium on Monday, July 24, head north to arrive in Edinburgh on Saturday, July 29, south again to reach Cardiff on Saturday, August 5, running through Gloucester on Sunday, August 6, Bracknell on Friday, August 11 to finish on August 12 at Twickenham Stadium with a Wasps FC team scoring the try at the England v Wales World Cup warm-up match.

Dorrington, right, adds: “The event does not cover the length and breadth of the country, and apologies if the run does not pass your way. For clubs not able to take part, you can still join in the fun by organising events at your club or satellite runs, for which the clubs are solely responsible.”

Sue Martineau, Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation CEO, said: “Paul Rendall aka ‘The Judge’ a stalwart of Wasps FC and England for many years, who played in two World Cups, has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease and is living with various health challenges. The Wasps community is proud to be a major part of The Longest Try, not only raising funds to enable Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation to further support Paul and his family but we are also delighted to be working with Gloucester Rugby Foundation in their support of Ed Slater and the MND Association. ”

Linda Allen, MND Association Director of Fundraising, said: “The rugby community are a force to be reckoned with and it is invaluable to have them standing with us as we work together to defeat this devastating disease.

“MND is incredibly cruel and robs people of the ability to walk, talk, eat and ultimately to breathe. Unfortunately there is no cure and no effective treatments – but there is work gathering momentum in laboratories and clinics across the world to change that. We’re so grateful to every club that signs up for The Longest Try and we can’t wait to cheer everyone on from kick off to touch down at Twickenham.”