SA duo embark on epic cycle to raise funds for ChildFund Rugby
Ron Rutland of Nottingham Road in KwaZulu-Natal and Adam Nunn of Sea Point embarked on the adventure of a lifetime this month – cycling 45 000km, in BIRKENSTOCKS whenever possible, to deliver the official match whistles to the referees for the opening games of both the women’s Rugby World Cup (RWC) in New Zealand in October 2022 and the men’s Rugby World Cup in France which kicks off in September 2023.
The 600-day odyssey started at the DHL Stadium in Green Point, with a prologue from Cape Town to Windhoek, and will take the rugby-mad duo through 48 countries across six continents. The goal is to raise $500 000 for ChildFund Rugby https://www.childfundrugby.org/ which gives young people from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to play, learn and grow. To support the charity drive fans can “buy” a kilometre of their journey which they are selling for $10 for each of the 45 000km.
The duo left Cape Town on Saturday January 16 and completed their first 1000km this Monday January 24. They are currently cycling north of Asab, a town in southern Namibia, on their way to Windhoek.
“We’re both curious individuals and massive rugby fans, who love cycling, travel and living life on our own terms. So, we are combining these attributes to explore the world of rugby from the back of our bikes while on this fundraising mission,” explained Ron, who is also co-founder of the Cape Town 10s.
The first leg was a “chilled” 70km ride to Stellenbosch, which included a stop in Khayelitsha, where bike partner Avalanche Bicycle Company donated bicycles to the Velokhaya Cycling Academy. The ride culminated in lunch and a farewell function hosted by TV presenter Dan Nicholl at Plaisir de Merle in Stellenbosch.
The first leg was sponsored by BIRKENSTOCK who are supplying the duo with footwear for their epic journey. “BIRKENSTOCKS offer exactly the type of comfort your feet demand after a long day cycling in cleats,” said Adam. “The brand shares our spirit of adventure and is all about comfort which is why we approached them to support us. We will also cycle in our BIRKENSTOCKS whenever possible, to give our feet some fresh air.”
While the trip will include several flights, the longest unbroken cycling leg will be about 22 000km from Santiago in Chile to New York City.
“We will average about 100km per day, be it in the heat of the Namibian summer, to the mid-winter freeze of Georgia to the altitude of the Andes in South America. We have the adventure of a lifetime ahead of us,” said Ron.
Travelling during the global pandemic will be challenging and the duo know they are going to have to be pragmatic and adaptable. “Inevitably we’ll have to miss a few countries so will make up the kilometres elsewhere – even if we have to circle Australia!” said Ron.
The grand adventure will culminate with a final fundraising event with 200 cyclists joining Ron and Adam for the final 3 days of their journey, riding from Twickenham in London to Stade De France in Paris for the opening game of the RWC in September 2023. “Entry to this leg will include a ticket to the opening game between France and New Zealand, and all participants will be asked to raise a minimum of $500 for our fundraising efforts – hopefully some will raise much more!” said Adam.
Between 2013 and 2015 Ron completed a similar trip cycling 42 000km on his own to reach England in time for the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England. Then in 2019 together with James Owens he rode 20 000km through 27 countries in 231 days to reach Tokyo in time for the opening game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
With this experience under his belt, Ron, is confident the 2022-23 trip is do-able: “Adam and I have done a bit of riding together in the past year, and he has the mindset to know how to suffer – so he’ll be fine!”
Follow the adventure on @birkenstockza and @racetorwc and support ChildFund Rugby by buying 1 km of the journey on the Race to Rugby World Cup GivenGain page: https://www.givengain.com/e/racetorwcprologue/.
ABOUT BIRKENSTOCK
BIRKENSTOCK is a global lifestyle brand with a heritage in iconic footwear, rooted in the creation of the BIRKENSTOCK footbed. The brand that can be traced as far as 1774 is guided by the notion of quality and function in all its actions and across all categories. The concept of all-round wellbeing is developed into footwear, sleeping systems and natural cosmetics, increasingly translating the lifestyle vision of the brand heritage. With around 5,500 employees worldwide, this traditional, sixth-generation family-run business is also one of the German footwear industry’s biggest employers. BIRKENSTOCK was already using the term “footbed” in the 1910s, giving it the meaning, which is commonly understood by consumers all over the world to this day – as a synonym for outstanding comfort when walking and standing. By the early 1970s, BIRKENSTOCK had become a global player. Since 2021, the company is majority owned by L Catterton, the world’s largest growth investor focused on the consumer goods industry, and Financière Agache, a holding company controlled by Agache, the holding company of the Arnault family. Manufactured in Germany, the sandals are sold in more than 100 countries on all continents. BIRKENSTOCK also has a growing range of closed shoes, children’s shoes, and occupational footwear, as well as specialist products for orthopedic retailers, socks, bags, and belts. In 2017, BIRKENSTOCK added sleep systems and natural cosmetics (BIRKENSTOCK NATURAL SKIN CARE) to its portfolio of products. BIRKENSTOCK has 16 sites in Germany, in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Bavaria, and Saxony. The long-standing enterprise also operates its own sales offices in the United States and Canada as well as in Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Dubai and India.
SA duo embark on epic cycle to raise funds for ChildFund Rugby https://t.co/MUCAvUTcPN #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/376NfNwnvT
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) January 27, 2022
