Northumberland cyclists to deliver Six Nations match ball and raise cash for Doddie Weir charity

The 555-mile route will be completed by keen cyclists from Seahouses and Belford; Kevin Elliot, Michael Robinson, Ken Britton, Walter Dunn, Colin Rutter and Stephen Rutter, who have been training for the challenge over the past few months.

The team will set off at 6am on February 9, and cycle for two days continuously until reaching the Murrayfield Stadium to deliver the match ball ahead of the Scotland versus Wales Six Nations clash.

While on route, the cyclists have also planned to stop off at their local club, Alnwick Rugby Club, to rally support from familiar faces and to give the team a final push for the final 95 miles.

Ken Britton, one of the cyclists, said: “It will be a challenge and the weather hasn’t been on our side so we’ve been doing a lot of indoor training to prepare.

"We chose this charity because we’ve all been involved a lot with rugby and the charity is rugby related so we want to raise as much as we can.”

Together, the team are hoping to raise £10,000 for My Name’s Doddie Foundation, a charity set up by Doddie Weir OBE, working towards finding a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The charity also provides support to people living with the disease and gives help to families effected.

To donate to the fundraiser, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alnwickrfc.