Heavy Woollen Rivals United: The 50kg World Coal Carrying Challenge

This Easter Monday (April 6th), the traditional Rugby League rivalries of the Heavy Woollen district are being put to one side for a much greater cause. A collective team of players and supporters from across our local rugby league community will be taking on the legendary World Coal Carrying Championships in Gawthorpe. Racing 1,012 yards through the streets of Dewsbury—ending with the brutal 1-in-6 gradient climb up Maypole Hill—with a 50kg sack of coal on our shoulders is a punishing test of endurance, but we are doing it to ensure no member of our rugby family has to face a life-changing injury alone.

It is a proud moment for our area to see the great community clubs Dewsbury Moor, Shaw Cross Sharks, and Dewsbury Celtic standing shoulder to shoulder with Batley Bulldogs, whose CEO and former player Paul Harrison will be one of the team taking part. While we may be fierce competitors on the pitch, this challenge has brought us together as one. We are trading the rugby ball for coal sacks to raise vital funds for the Rugby League Benevolent Fund, an organisation that provides a lifelong safety net for those who have given everything to the sport we love - at all levels, from community clubs to Super League.

The work of the Benevolent Fund is deeply personal to all four clubs, each having been touched by the charity’s vital support in the past. We carry the memory of Archie Bruce—who developed his skills at Dewsbury Moor before joining Batley Bulldogs—whose loss in 2019 devastated our community. We also run for those who have faced incredible battles following life-altering injuries, including David Roebuck (Dewsbury Celtic, 1982) and Ryan Glynn (Shaw Cross Sharks, 2013).

In every one of these instances, the Benevolent Fund was a pillar of strength, providing the immediate and long-term assistance required to support the players, their families, and their teammates through the most difficult of times. By supporting our team, you are helping to fund everything from home adaptations and specialised wheelchairs to long-term rehabilitation and mental health support, ensuring the charity can continue its life-changing work.

Please give what you can to support our clubs as we take on this gruelling Gawthorpe tradition. Every pound helps us ensure that in our Rugby League community, we always look after our own—no matter the colour of the shirt.