I think we can all agree that rugby is an incredible sport, which brings a huge amount of happiness to everyone involved, from the professional players right through to the volunteers helping coach youth rugby or man the bar at the local club (and everything inbetween!). Unfortunately, as with every sport, sometimes the worst happens, and a player may sustain a life changing injury. It is on those rare occasions that the RFU Injured Players Foundation gets involved. They provide support and information to players who suffered a permanent disability as a result of a spinal cord or traumatic brain injury sustained whilst playing rugby in England, as well as to their families. This support helps them in their recovery and rehabilitation, as well helping them make adjustments to enable them to continue to live life to the fullest.

As you may know, Rugby forms a huge part of my life, whether it be through playing, supporting, or refereeing. Through refereeing Hammersmith and Fulham Veterans in the Middlesex Veterans league this season, I learned of the story of Stuart Mangan, a former player who suffered a life-changing spinal injury whilst playing for the club. Stuart passed away in 2009, and in his memory, members of the club set up a Charity Legends match, based on an idea Stuart had devised. Over the years that the Legends match has been held, over £120,000 has been raised for charities such as the RFU IPF, and the most recent edition between England and Ireland, played out at the Stoop in March, included such legendary figures as Jason Leonard, Gordon D'Arcy, Shane Byrne and Mark Cueto.

On the 9th of June, the fundraising efforts will be taken to the hallowed turf of Twickenham, and this time it will be the turn of the Veterans. 4 Veterans teams from Hammersmith & Fulham RFC, Wimbledon RFC, Ealing Trailfinders RFC and Silhilians RUFC, will be playing in a charity tournament celebrating Veterans and Grassroots rugby in memory of Stuart and other players who have suffered severe injuries, and attempting to raise £40,000 in the process for the RFU IPF in the process.

I was lucky enough to be part of the officials team for the Legends match this year, held at the Twickenham Stoop, and Hammersmith and Fulham have very kindly nominated me to also be part of the refereeing team for this tournament. Ever since I became a referee, it has been pretty much at the top of my bucket list to officiate at Twickenham, and the RFU IPF are finally giving me the chance to do so. I am really proud to be helping this day to life, and hope to raise as much as possible to help support the RFU IPF in the work they do.

If you would like to see more of what the RFUIPF does to help the injured players and their families adapt and recover from critical injuries and importantly to me, the preventive research they do, to stop tragic injuries happening like this again, please log on to http://www.rfuipf.org.uk

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