The Cambridge University rugby team are able to exist in great part because of the legacy of our strong local community over many generations. This year, the club is prioritising the legacy that we in turn leave for generations to come, starting with the facilities we provide for our community. As part of our fundraising efforts for a new training centre, the team has decided to go beyond the physical health of our members by also creating the platform to support the mental health of the community.

Mental health is a key issue for the University, both within and outside the Rugby Club, and in 2018, the team is committed to addressing this by donating 50% of funds raised for the new facilities to mental health initiatives.

Our team members are often seen to be invincible, which can inhibit our participation in conversations about vulnerability and mental health, and as a result, the mental health of our players can be ignored. To change the conversation around these issues, we have identified the need to reflect on what can be done internally, then use the platform we've been given to participate and change the discussion on mental health in the Cambridge community. Internally, we plan to expand on existing health facilities to provide a full suite of social and professional support networks for club members. From here, we plan to create awareness around the importance of addressing mental health issues through an inclusive, authentic campaign in the wider University.

Part of our campaign is a whole team challenge: every player will run the equivalent of the distance between Cambridge and Twickenham (66 miles) during pre-season fitness programme. The team will lead a 2km warm-up team run through town each Saturday morning, wearing campaign shirts to raise awareness of our mental health campaign. Additional, individual challenges are to follow over the course of the Summer which I'll provide further information about at a later date.

We believe our players, like the entire Cambridge community, deserve full support around mental health, and we also see a responsibility to use the extraordinary opportunities we've been given to provide the same support for others. So in 2018, we are inviting you to take a stand with us for mental health, enabling us to create positive change internally, and also create awareness in the wider community through our Twickenham challenge. Donations of any size are really appreciated and will make an enormous difference.

#TackleTheBlues