Peterborough rugby great to take on epic charity triathlon to reach Rugby World Cup final in memory of former colleagues

Peterborough rugby great Jon Phillips will be joining an all-star team to take on an epic five-day challenge that will see them swim, run, cycle and row their way to the Rugby World Cup Final in Paris (October 28).

The gruelling ‘Try To The Final’ five-day challenge will see the team of 12 first swim 5.1km in London’s Lido Pool before embarking on a 35 mile run to Gillingham.

On Day Two, the team will run another 40 miles from Gillingham to Dover ahead of Day Three, which will see them row the 27.5 miles across the English Channel in two boats to Calais.

Day Four will consist of a 140-mile cycle ride from Calais to Beauvais. The final day will see the team cycle a further 60 miles to Paris on the eve of the World Cup Final.

All of the efforts of the team will be in support of two charities Motor Neuron Disease (MND) charity, the My Name’s Doddie Foundation, and Colon Cancer charity 40Tude.

40Tude Curing Colon Cancer charity was founded in September 2011 to help fund research into a disease that around 17,000 people in the UK each year.

One of Jon’s former teammates, Tom Smith, sadly passed away from the condition in April 2022, aged 50.

Tom earned 61 caps for Scotland and toured with the 1997 and 2001 British and Irish Lions during his career but was diagnosed with Stage Four Cancer in 2019, with tumours in his colon, brain and liver.

Jon also played against Doddie Weir on many occasions, the former Scotland international lost his much-publicised battle with MND in November 2022 but not before setting up his own foundation in 2017 to help raise awareness and funds to find a cure for the devastating disease.

Phillips (51) was born in Peterborough and began his playing career with Peterborough Rugby Union Football Club before going on to Premiership and Championship rugby with Northampton Saints and Bedford Blues. He later returned to PRUFC as a player coach and is currently coaching and Oundle RFC.

He will begin the challenge on Monday October 23 alongside a number of former teammates and recognisable names Budge Pountney, Allan Bateman, Paddy Johns, Stuart Reid, Mark Soden, Scott Otten, Laurence Denvir, Stuart Thom, Luke Ryan, Tony Clare and Liz O'Connor.

The fund-raising target for the trip is £66,666, which represents the combined jersey numbers of Tom (1) and Doddie (5).

Donations can be made at https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/the-try-to-the-final.

Jon said: “I’m not sure if describing the challenge as epic or stupid is the right word.

"It might be a little bit painful physically but life wasn’t easy for Tom and Doddie so we’re determined to get there.

"Mentally it will perhaps be the most testing though. We’ve got a really good team of guys I know well and have played with but also have played both with and against Doddie and Tom so I’m sure we will get there, there are plenty of contingency plans in place.”