Welsh Warriors' complete rugby run challenge

A group of serving Royal Welsh soldiers ran the length of Wales to fundraise and honour the 20^th anniversary of their regiment.

Their ‘Rugby Ball Run Challenge’ route was designed to pass through all eleven founding rugby clubs of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

At each club, the group stopped to score a try and conversion from the halfway line with a special commemorative ball they carried with them throughout the challenge.  The ball was then signed by the president of each club.

The 12 soldiers covered 313 miles across the six days (10 – 15 February), starting at CSM Stadium and concluding at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, where the group ran onto the pitch at half time during Wales’ Six Nations match against France.

When asked about the challenge Regimental Sergeant Major Dean Howard explained that even with the teams preparation and experience with overseas operational deployment, the demands of their challenge became apparent.

"There is a distinct difference between the mental robustness developed through overseas operational deployments, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, and the resilience required for sustained endurance running."

From Day 3 onwards the team had to dig deep, both physically and mentally. The terrain between Aberystwyth and Llanelli was exceptionally steep, forcing the team to walk the ascents to preserve energy before running the descents to maintain the strict timelines in place for safety reasons.

Adverse weather conditions, ranging from heavy rain and high winds, to hail and snow adding an extra layer of difficulty to the run.

Despite these challenges, the team’s focus remained firmly fixed on reaching the stadium on the final day and demonstrating the resilience of both Regular soldiers and Reservists alike.

A significant driving factor throughout was our commitment to the charities we were running for, including Blind Veterans UK." 

In a show of unity and support, the group were joined on the final leg into the Principality Stadium by two blind veterans, Andy and Darren, and our Military Lead Tim, who were with them to present the commemorative ball to the President of the WRU.

Tim said: “The support we receive from the UK Armed Forces always makes a huge difference to the lives of veterans living with sight loss. The efforts of the 3rd Battalion of Royal Welsh Regiment are great examples of this”.