Hi, my name is Nicholas Heyes, I’m 39 years old and one of four coaches supporting the Telford Hornets Rugby Football Club (THRFC), U10s Junior Team.

I got into coaching through my son Rhys, a player for the U10s, who wanted to play for a ‘proper’ rugby team, due to his love of rugby. I have been a coach for 3 years now, and love every aspect of it, from seeing Rhys and the other kids progression through the years, and the family feeling THRFC brings.

Looking towards this season, THRFC organises and undertakes a junior tour, for our U7s to U12s, around March each year.

As you can imagine with the cost of such events and the current climate some families find it hard to attend the annual tour. the aim is to make it as cheap as possible and hop cover the cost of the children attending. Tour is a vital part of community rugby, bonding with other age groups and creating the rugby family. A tour isnt just about the fun our junior teams enjoy the experience of being trained by a Premiership Team’s coaching staff, attend a Premiership Rugby match and participate in a local tournaments.

The Challenge

With the 2023 Rugby World Cup starting on 08 Sep 23, I wanted to do something relating to the strength, endurance, courage and spirit that rugby brings. So, I devised a physical challenge with strength and endurance elements in mind

For strength, I will be lifting the total combined weight of every RWC 23 team, through all the rounds, which equals 305,880 kgs.

With 49 days of RWC, this equals 6,243kg a day.

For the endurance element, I will cycle, run or row the total distance between all the stadiums hosting the RWC 23, starting at Stade Pierre Mouroy in Lille going clockwise and finishing back there, within 49 days again. This total distance is 1,918 miles, which equates to a daily target of 39.14 miles.

Therefore each day I will lift 6,243 kgs in weight and complete a distance of 39.14 miles, for 49 days.

This I hope will inspire people within the rugby community and beyond, to kindly donate funds to raise money and support the Telford Hornets U10s Junior Tour, and training equipment, but also inspire the U10s Team that through determination, and a willingness to succeed, they can achieve great things in Rugby, and in life.

I will say thank you in advance for your kind generosity and support…..Go Hornets!