Army manoeuvres will take team to Toronto

Regimental team kick on in efforts to get to Canada

An Army regiment took part in manoeuvres of a different kind as they undertook a mammoth fundraising challenge.

Members of Leuchars’ Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ran, cycled and rowed 3,319 miles – the distance from Fife to Toronto – in 10 hours as they prepared for a football tour of the Canadian city.

The trip is a reward for the leaguewinning regimental team and fundraising has begun in earnest to pay their fares.

Staff Sergeant Scotty McCall said his 18-man squad began their efforts at 5am but reached out to the rest of the regiment for support after five hours.

“They helped us get over the line,” he said. “There were between 40 and 45 folk on the bikes at any one time, each doing 45 minute slots.

“I promised the boys last year that if we won the Scottish Tri-Service League we would go on a football trip this year and we leave later this month.”

The trial raised around £1,000 and further fundraising will be done at Dens Park on Saturday.

“Dundee FC have been extremely helpful with all of this,” said Sgt McCall.

“They’re allowing us to fundraise with buckets before and after the game and our team captain, Corporal Paul Chilvers, will run the last mile of our challenge round Dens Park on Saturday.”

All the money raised will be split between paying for the trip and a number of military charities close to the regiment’s heart.

The whistle-stop tour of Toronto begins on May 28 and the Leuchars men will play various teams, including Toronto Police Department and an amateur select side.

Full squad: The team are getting ready for their Canadian trip with a gruelling fundraising challenge.