For the love of rugby: London to Tokyo via Chandigarh

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 21

Two cycling enthusiasts, Ron Rutland and James Owens, have made a stopover in Chandigarh while on their journey from England to Japan in order to promote the upcoming Rugby World Cup, to be held in September at Japan.

The cyclists will cover around 20,000km in 231 days. They will cross 27 countries. They started their journey from the Twickenham Stadium in London on February 2 and will conclude it in Tokyo on September 19, ahead of the opening match of the Rugby World Cup. The opening match will be played between Japan and Russia.

“It’s a great experience for me. Covering 20,000km is something I never planned in my life,” said Owens.

“Though I have never played rugby like Rutland, I love cycling. Through this venture, we are also raising funds for underprivileged children. Today, we met a group of youngsters from an academy at the Sukhna Lake and I was amazed to see their interest towards rugby. We need more people to become aware about this sport,” he added.

Rutland, who played professional rugby in England, said that the idea behind this endeavour was to promote the sport. “We have been finding ways to promote rugby among the masses. I met Owens who is a cycling enthusiast and we planned this endeavour,” said Rutland. “We were stuck in Tajikistan for a few days due to the border being closed. We crossed the Khardung La pass and it was the most amazing moment for us. So far, I have observed that rugby is popular among masses, but it needs more support,” he added.

A native of South Africa, Rutland had also pedaled from Cape Town to London to promote the 2015 Rugby World Cup. “We have passed many countries and cities and there was not a single time that we were not greeted by people in a very friendly manner,” he added.