A RATHER HAIRY CHALLENGE
RW’s Alan Pearey reports on two intrepid Brits setting off early to the World Cup… on bicycles
ORLD CUPS can bring out the crazy side in people, which is why next month two players from the Bishop’s Stortford club in Hertfordshire will meet at Covent Garden to begin a gargantuan mission.
George Cullen, 25, and Ben Cook, 24, will be cycling from London to Tokyo, aiming to reach Japan in time to watch England in a hoped-for quarter-final in Oita on 19-20 October. Their 6,000-mile route spans 21 countries and will become steadily more gruelling once they pass through mainland Europe.
“Initially we’re going along the Danube quite a lot. So we go through Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest. Quite easy cycling,” says Cullen, a fly-half who played in two Varsity Matches for Oxford and had a spell at London Scottish.
“Later, we go through a couple of desert environments, which will be pretty challenging in terms of the heat and carrying all our water. Going through central Asia there will be big climbs, 3-4,000 metres, in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. That will be tough too.”
The plan is to cover 40-50 miles a day – “it’s very much a marathon, not a sprint” – and the estimated £7,000 cost (each) of the ride is being met by corporate sponsors, chiefly Robert Walters (recruitment specialists) and Radleys (chemistry).
While Cullen concedes it will be “a
Wreally cool means of seeing the world”, it is far from the only motive. The pair hope to raise £30,000 for the Movember Foundation that addresses men’s health issues – hence the striking moustaches and the ‘Hairy Handlebars’ moniker they’re adopting for the ride.
“Globally a man takes his life once a minute, which is shocking. It’s also the biggest killer in men under the age of 45 in the UK. Ben and I both know people who have suffered from mental health problems as well. In the last month alone, I’ve had conversations with two people whose mates have taken their own life.”
A portion of the money raised will go towards the Ian Williams Foundation, a legacy of the Doncaster prop who died whilst training a year ago.
“He was my good mate when I was at Oxford. We played in two Varsity games together and lived together for a time. It gives the trip more meaning to me. On those days when it’s really tough, you can think, ‘It’s not that tough compared to what his family are going through’.”
Cullen is quitting his job at a sports management consultancy to undertake the challenge, which begins on 21 March. Is he confident they’ll succeed?
“Yeah, 100%. There are going to be issues, like our bikes will probably malfunction a bit. We’ll just have to think on our feet.” To make a donation, see thehairyhandlebars.co.uk