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Prescott to deliver Carnegie Challenge Cup match ball
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Steve Prescott will deliver the match ball for the Carnegie Challenge Cup fourth round tie between Leeds Rhinos and St Helens on Sunday 5 April as part of his fundraising challenge.Following the launch of Steve Prescott's Carnegie Challenge last week, training has begun for the gruelling endurance test that will test the participants to their limits.
Steve and a star-studded team of ex-professional Rugby League players are preparing for a challenge that will see them cycle 720 mile across France before rowing across the Channel in a dragon boat, a second 60 mile bike ride before finally completing the challenge with a half marathon run in time for the Carnegie Challenge Cup final in August.
This weekend Steve and six members of the Carnegie Challenge team, including Kris Radlinski MBE and former Saints captain Chris Joynt, will cycle from St Helens College to Headingley Carnegie Stadium in time to deliver the match ball for the mouth-watering Carnegie Challenge Cup fourth round clash between cup heavyweights Leeds Rhinos and St Helens.
The players will begin the challenge at St Helens College, where Saints mascot, Boots, will present Steve with the match ball. They will then cycle the 70 miles across the Pennines before arriving at Headingley Carnegie Stadium where they will be welcomed by Leeds mascot, Ronnie the Rhino and the Radio Aire dance team.
Guy Lincoln, Director of Rugby League Partnerships at Leeds Met Carnegie said: "We are encouraging all supporters to welcome Steve and the team into the stadium at around 2.30pm just in time for the Catalans v Bulls game. There will be opportunities for fans to have their photos taken with the legendary players before they are introduced onto the pitch at 4.00pm, before Steve leads the teams onto the pitch with the match ball."
Participants in Steve Prescott's Carnegie Challenge include Paul Sculthorpe, Kris Radlinski, Chris Joynt, Steve Hampson, Gary Connolly, Anthony Sullivan, Steve Prescott, Terry O'Connor, Chris Smith Steve Hall, and Lee Jackson.
Jimmy Gittins and Pete Stephenson, who both sustained career-ending injuries, will also take part on a specially adapted quad bike designed to help them complete the challenge.
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Notes for editors:
Steve Prescott Foundation
Steve Prescott played Rugby League for St Helens, Hull, Wakefield, Ireland and was a GB Lions Tourist. In September 2006, Steve was diagnosed with Pseudomyxoma Peritonei a rare form of cancer, he was told that he would not see his two children grow up; he was given months to live.
He underwent a major operation in Basingstoke Hospital and tumours were removed from his abdomen. After surgery Steve was transferred to The Christie Hospital in Manchester for chemotherapy treatment to try to control the remaining disease.
The Steve Prescott Foundation was then created to raise money for two charities, which were close to Steve's Heart, The Christie Cancer Hospital and the RFL Benevolent Fund, which helps sick and injured Rugby League Players.
The Long Walk Home was the first Event organised for the Foundation, it was a 200-mile walk, involving all the Super League Clubs within the M62 Corridor. It was a huge success with £60,000 raised. Since then the Foundation has expanded and at the moment we have given over £150,000 to the Charities raised through events such as Rugby Legends Boxing each other to Steve completing the London Marathon.
Steve at the moment is still undergoing intense Chemotherapy but this does not stop him from trying impossible feats, he pushes his body to the limits and the Carnegie Challenge is his next target.
Leeds Metropolitan University
• Partnerships with 23 colleges mean that the wider Great North Uni family in association with the University has over 300,000 students.
• The University has achieved its best ever Research Assessment Exercise results. Sports-Related Studies is in the top 6 institutions in the country with research rated at the highest levels of 4* and 3*.
• The University scored highly in the Times Higher's Student Experience and was ranked 2nd in the category 'Good library and library opening hours'.
• Leeds Metropolitan University won the 'Coaching Environment of the Year' award at the sports coach uk 2008 UK Coaching Awards and was announced as the home of the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence.
• Leeds Met Carnegie is the primary partner of rugby league's Carnegie Challenge Cup.
• The university is home to The UK Centre for Coaching Excellence.
www.leedsmet.ac.uk
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Edited by Alan, 06 April 2009 - 12:02 PM.
