Peterborough teenager (15) hoping to kick testicular cancer into touch - with help of rugby teammates

Muhammed Gaibee from Millfield is battling the condition - but Mo is not doing it alone, as he has the support of his team mates at Peterborough Rugby Club (PRUFC).

Mo has been a member of the club for a number of years and currently represents the Under 16s team.

The rest of the squad have rallied around to commit their support and after Sunday’s home game against Oakham made a special presentation of a named Boro shirt and a special cake - shaped like a pair of testicles - to him, handed his mother a bunch of flowers, and held a collection for cancer charities.

A few weeks ago, when one of this winter’s storms put an end to hopes of playing rugby, the team took part in the Ferry Meadows Park Run, while wearing brightly coloured tutus, to raise awareness of testicular cancer and raise money.

Mo, who turns 16 in three weeks’ time said: “I really appreciate all of this; it’s been fantastic. It’s really helped me stay positive at a difficult time.”

PRUFC’s under-16 Head Coach Jason Hinch said: “This really shows the spirit of rugby.

“I was so proud to see the lads come up with this fantastic show of support for one of their own. This is what makes rugby so worthwhile. Mo’s a strong character and he’ll come through this, but it must be a terrifying thing to go through, and to have all your mates backing you like this must be a fantastic boost for him.”

Peterborough Rugby Club chairman Alan Graham added: “There’s a lot of talk about the ‘Rugby Family’ looking after each other, and this really underlines that the whole concept of the ‘Rugby Family’ is a great force for good. As far as I am concerned, we are a big family and Mo is a member of that family, so we will do whatever we can to support him, his family and the boys in the team.”

A spokesman for Macmillan Cancer Support commented: “A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. We’ll help anyone make sense of it all, with tailored and trusted information and support from day one.”

On Sunday, the Boro boys lost to Oakham but with several of their top players away on East Midlands representative duty, that was no surprise. The game was a friendly, though, and Peterborough remain joint top of East Midlands League Division 3, with a 100 per cent record. They have just one match left to play – against Bedford who are also unbeaten all season.