Carrying the Weight for our Own: My 50kg World Coal Carry Challenge

This Easter Monday, I’m stepping away from the pitch to take on a different kind of physical battle: the World Coal Carrying Championships in Gawthorpe. Carrying a 50kg sack of coal over a 1,012-yard course—including that final, punishing climb up Maypole Hill—is going to be incredibly tough, but it's nothing compared to the challenges faced by those I’m running for.

As a current player for Shaw Cross Sharks, I know that every time we step onto the field, we rely on the strength of our teammates. But sometimes, life throws a challenge that requires a much larger team to tackle. That is why I’m joining forces with players from Batley Bulldogs, Dewsbury Moor, and Dewsbury Celtic. We might be rivals on a Saturday afternoon, but we are standing together as one community to support the Rugby League Benevolent Fund.

For everyone at Shaw Cross, this cause is deeply personal. We saw the devastating impact of a life-changing injury firsthand in 2013 when our own Ryan Glynn suffered a spinal injury while playing the game he loved. In the years since, the Benevolent Fund has been there for Ryan, providing the lifelong support and specialist assistance that is so vital for players who have had their lives changed in an instant.

I feel incredibly lucky to still be playing this great game, and I don’t take for granted the fact that I’ve stayed healthy. By taking on this coal carry, I want to help ensure that the safety net Ryan and many others rely on is always there. The money we raise will go directly toward specialist equipment, home adaptations, and the long-term rehabilitation that the charity provides for our Rugby League family.

Please give whatever you can to support me and the team. Your donation helps ensure that no player, regardless of their club, has to face a life-changing injury without the support of the whole rugby community behind them.