MT2 - EDG2PARIS The road to the Rugby World Cup 2023
Since our first Maul Together Challenge “JOGLE”, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation invited the Maul Together team up to their annual awards evening in Scotland and we won the “Doddie Champion” award for outstanding contribution to the cause, presented by Andy Nicholl and Jill Douglas!
What a fantastic evening and it was amazing to get the recognition for the outstanding work the whole Maul Together team put in to raise over £55,000 during the JOGLE challenge.
More recently, there was the really sad news that former England, Leicester and Gloucester rugby player Ed Slater has been diagnosed with MND at only 33.
Ed has set up a “4ED” fundraising campaign raising awareness for MND. The Maul Together team was an event partner at the 4ED fundraising evening in Cheltenham March’23.
What an evening and this helped spur the lads back into action and come up with a new challenge!
Since JOGLE in 2021, the following year was so busy with lives getting back to normal after Covid and many of the team having children, the team were determined to get back up and running in 2023.
We put minds together and with the upcoming Rugby World Cup taking place in France, the idea didn’t take long to cycle to Paris ready for the start of the competition. Cycling from the Bridgnorth RFC Edgar Davies Ground (EDG) to Paris in 3 days (EDG2PARIS)!
The dates were set - 5-7th September 2023, 3 days, 305 miles and 12,150 ft of Elevation. And that’s not just it, following watching the opening RWC game of France v New Zealand on the 8th Sept, the team will then fly home on the Saturday morning to play their Bridgnorth RFC 1st team fixture against Syston in Leicestershire!
Once the plan was set - EDG2PARIS, the team had to getback on the horse (bike)!
It took a few members a little longer to get back on the bike, Jimmy Gore’s bike was still rattling around the back on the teams van since Lands End!!!
Once the bikes were dusted off, everyone got back into the swing of it and remembered all the fun we had on a bike but also realised the cycling fitness we had lost since JOGLE!
Training was back up and running. There were a few new members wanting to be part of the team including James Barham who was fairly new to cycling - so we went back to where it all started in 2021 - Halesfield Industrial Estate in Telford, doing loops of an industrial estate to help James get used to riding a road bike!
If only James hadn’t turned up with a road bike and clip in peddles but wearing normal trainers on his feet! Not a good start!! Then a few rides later realising that his brakes were touching his wheel!!
Emily is back for MT2 - EDG2PARIS and as always is leading the way in training, doing some great rides around London and even a beautiful ride from London to Brighton.
New recruit Mark Hammond who is an experienced rider has also been flat out training and took his bike over to Mallorca doing a 70 mile ride in 40 degrees!
Whilst a lot of the team has been doing their own training, we have tried to get back out as a group including the new members for MT2 - EDG2PARIS!
Dan, Gareth and Adam took Mark Hammond and Dan Mathews out for a team ride, but really it was Mark and Dan taking the other three out as they are both very strong cyclists and pulled the lads around a lovely 50 mile cycle in Shropshire!
Ride & Recovery!
Dan and Emily had a nice rider around the London parks and then met up with Bish for some recovery at Maul Together Day Sponsor - GREY WOLFE!
There were some brilliant facilities and it helped the team get ready for EDG2PARIS!
Dan and Elliot - Testing out their new bike ready for EDG2Paris!
May take a few more days than expected!
Dan Matthews - Takes cycling to another level!
Not only is MT new recruit Dan Matthews doing EDG2PARIS, but in Aug he took on the oldest cycling event still in existence - PARIS-BREST-PARIS! 765 Miles had to be completed within 90 Hours - and Dan did it in 89 Hours!!!
Unbelievable Dan! Well Done!
The team sponsorship and individual donations have been flying in!
Wow thank you so much for your fantastic support so far! Everyone has been so generous and all of this will go to some fantastic causes in My Name’5 Doddie Foundation & Matt Hampson Foundation
Please help us raise even more money for these amazing charities. All contributions however small are very greatly appreciated!
Next Blog -
EDG2PARIS Ride!! Keep Tuned!!