This summer, as well as keeping a watchful eye over national side's preparations, Mike is the force behind the inaugural Rugby Aid that will take place at the Twickenham Stoop in September. In front of a packed house England will challenge the Rest of the World in a charity rugby match with both sides combining former professional rugby players and celebrities. The match will be played in aid of Rugby for Heroes and is yet another illustration of the strong bond between the armed forces and rugby.
Since the announcement of the match speculation has been rife regarding the personnel for each team and on Monday a number of those confirmed to play met at The Stoop to formally launch Rugby Aid. The mood was jovial and upbeat however there were a few early nerves jangling about especially when Britain’s most successful Strong Man competitor Terry Hollands turned up and the realisation dawned on the Rest Of The World team that Terry would be legitimately allowed to hunt them down and tackle them!
A man that is no stranger to the largest of stages and one that is an ambassador for Rugby For Heroes is Thinus Delport and Thinus shared with me his thoughts heading into the fixture;
“It is a great opportunity to mix with some of the old players and opponents and also some of the names from the celebrity world, especially in a Rugby World Cup Year to raise the profile for not just rugby but for Rugby For Heroes. The training programme and nutritional programme has been sent out so I’ve got 6 or 7 weeks to try and get into some form of shape!! I think feel comfortable that I know the other guys are also in a similar position.”
As mentioned Thinus is not the only professional that will be taking to the field he will be joined by a whole host of individuals that we all know very well including Jason Robinson, Nick Kennedy, Bryan Redpath, Josh Lewsey, Serge Betsen and many more. Across the board it is fair to say that these guys are currently sporting varying degrees of match fitness as Thinus shared;
“When you do get on the field you still want to represent you, your team and the cause that everyone is out here for. I’m sure that there will be 100% commitment out on the field and equally some fun moments!! In terms of selection I’ve put forward a couple of names, a couple of fellow South Africans, so really looking forward to clash against England. The last time that I played against England was in the 2003 Rugby World Cup and England won of course, so I've got a couple of scores to settle!!”
The inaugural Rugby Aid promises to be a wholly competitive affair that will be played in superb spirits and most importantly should raise huge amounts for a tremendously deserving cause. As the weeks tick by more celebrities and former players will be announced and the individuals taking part will start to put their game faces on in order to ensure that they are on the winning side come the 4th September 2015.
All the important details in terms of tickets are at www.tickets.quins.co.uk (£20-£40) and from a social media perspective everything Rugby Aid is being delivered @RugbyAid2015, @Rugbyforheroes and with the #RugbyAid
Rugby Aid Squads
ENGLAND
Coaches - Jason Leonard OBE, Joe Worsley MBE and Dan Luger MBE
Former Players - Mike Tindall MBE (Captain), Jason Robinson, Paul Scakey, Phil Greening, Nick Kennedy, Andy Gomarsall, Tom May, Tom Voyce, Iain Balshaw, Josh Lewsey, Mark Cueto, Ugo Monye and Lee Mears
Celebrities - Harry Judd (SCD & McBusted), JB Gill (JLS Singer), Jamie Laing (Reality TV - Made In Chelsea), Gaz Beadle (Reality TV - Geordie Shore), Martin Offiah (GB Rugby League), Rav Wilding (TV Presenter), Terry Hollands (Britain's Strongest Man) and Vassos Alexander(Radio 2/5 Live)
REST OF THE WORLD
Coaches - Sean Holley and Paul Wallace
Former Players - Shane Williams MBE, Justin Marshall, Brad Thorn, Shane Bryne, Waisale Serevi, AJ Venter, Serge Betsen, Bryan Redpath, Rory Lawson, Terry Fanolua, Daryl Gibson, Dafydd James, Lee Byrne and Thinus Delport
Celebrities - Gethin Jones (TV Presenter), Matt Johnson (TV Presenter), Colin Murray (Talksport), Julian Lewis Jones (Actor) and Jamie Baulch (European World Champ Gold Medalist)
