In 2008 Stuart Mangan, suffered a severe spinal injury while playing rugby for my club and tragically died on the 7th August 2009. Stuart was only 26.

His injury and death greatly affected us, but also importantly the international rugby playing community and an idea that began between Stuart and Matt Hampson (England Under 20’s Prop while Stuart was in hospital), for an England vs. Ireland Legends Match to raise money for the injured players charities, was later developed by Shane Byrne of Ireland and Jason Leonard of England, in to the now famous Legends Match.

The first Legends Match was played at the Stoop in 2010 on the eve of the 6 Nations match, where they played for the Stuart Mangan Memorial Trophy.

In 2013 a conversation with the Mangan family came up with the idea of the "Curtain Raiser", where amateur vets teams play before the Legends match itself. Last year HFRFC beat the RAF, Wasps and Fire Service Rugby to win the prestigious Vets Trophy at the Stoop. This year as former winners, we have been invited again to play in Dublin before the match and will be up against tough Irish opposition in the form of the Railway Union Vets.

So far our curtain raiser matches have raised over £91,000 for the Legends charities and the aim of this match is to again raise as much money as possible in Stuart’s memory, for the RFU Injured Players Foundation and other Legends charities. The RFUIPF is to there for every serious injury sustained on the pitch and to be there for life and importantly through research, helps prevent injuries from occurring in the future.

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