Cycling soldiers to visit rugby contestants

Sgt Nik Dearing, 31, of Royal Signals 1 (UK) ADSR, will set off from Newcastle Falcons rugby ground on Sunday with seven colleagues and a rugby ball.

in a week, the group will visit the grounds of all 16 English and Welsh rugby union teams contesting this year's Anglo-Welsh Rugby Union cup, and deliver the ball that will be used in the final when they arrive at the home of Worcester Warriors the following Sunday.

Called Exercise Rhino Poppy, the mission aims to raise funds for the Royal British Legion poppy appeal and Help for Heroes.

Sgt Dearing, a former pupil at Thomas Sumpter school in Scunthorpe who has served in Iraq, said: "The care our wounded service personnel and their families get is excellent, but it could always be better.

"This is why the new Army recovery capability is working so closely with charities like Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion poppy appeal, and why I want to give something back to support them."

The route will take the cyclists through Newcastle, Leeds, Stockport, Leicester, Northampton, Llanelli, Newport, Cardiff, Swansea, Gloucester, Worcester, Bath, Reading, High Wycombe, Watford and Twickenham, the home of rugby union.

Major Jim Lambeth, who is leading the team, said: "They are tremendous charities, supporting those in immediate need, and those and their families who need sustained support long after they've left the services."