Kevin McDonald, a former player and Club Captain at Haywards Heath RFC and current Lead Coach of the Under 11s has recently completed a half ironman as part of the Club’s fundraising efforts.

Each age group has been set a target as part of the Club’s overall fundraising drive to get the new clubhouse built as soon as possible. Kevin used lockdown and the period of working from home to train for a Half Iron Man or 70.3 which is a 1.2mile open water swim, 56 Mile bike ride and a half marathon. Kevin had only previously completed one sprint and one standard distance triathlon some time ago but those had been organised events this would have to be an enormous DIY effort.

Following a 12 week training plan, Kevin managed to complete all three legs in 7 hours and was joined by two club members Joss Tranter the HHRFC Facilities Director on the bike leg and Graham Childs a Heath U16 coach on the run, with U16 dad and former Royal Marine Captain Duncan March on logistics.

One of Kevin’s primary drivers behind the challenge was the vision of a new multi-sports facility that will allow the rugby club to offer girls rugby for the first time. As a father of three daughters, anything that can be done to offer equality of opportunity to girls in all sports is a cause that is close to his heart. Kevin’s youngest daughter Rosa has played mixed rugby up to Under 11s but girls and boys split at Under 12s and moving forwards Kevin will be heading up the new Girls Rugby section at HHRFC.

The Club will be offering a two day girls-only rugby camp in August at Whitemans Green - open to girls from age 11 to 16 - and going forwards the Club will be working with Warden Park to offer girls rugby from September. In the meantime girls only touch rugby is already happening at Whitemans Green every Saturday at 9.30am - no prior experience needed just turn up and play for free. Anyone interested can email rugby@hhrfc.co.uk for more information.

In addition to the half ironman challenge, the U11s have invited Stephen Jones the respected rugby correspondent from the Sunday Times to the Club on the evening of Wednesday 23 June for a British & Irish Lions Tour preview evening with a prize auction on the night to push fundraising efforts even higher. Tickets are available for this exciting start to the Lions summer series through the HHRFC website at www.hhrfc.co.uk. The Club will also be showing the Lions matches LIVE in the Clubhouse on the big screen during the summer.

Anyone wanting to donate to Kevin’s Ironman challenge can still do so here:
Virgin Money Link