Northampton Saints fan walks 126 miles to Champions Cup final
A rugby union fan managed to walk 126 miles (203km) in order to see his team play in Europe's biggest match.Using Google Maps for navigation, a portable charger and with a tent in tow, Dave Chapman walked from the Northampton Saints ground to Cardiff to watch his side face Bordeaux Bègles in the Champions Cup final.In the process he raised more than £1,000 for the Northampton Saints Foundation. Mr Chapman said the "bleakest" moment was the first night when he had to make a detour after failing to factor in the new HS2 route.
Mr Chapman is from Kettering, Northamptonshire, and set off from Franklin's Gardens in Northampton on Tuesday.He spoke to BBC Radio Northampton two days into the journey from a phone box, because of a dead phone battery, at which point he still had 85 miles (137km) to go.Day three took him through the scenic Cotswolds locations of Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water."I tend to walk everywhere but I have never walked this far in such a short space of time," he told the BBC.He felt a twist to his ankle on the route, after falling "down a pothole" and he said he had to walk about 28 hours without stopping to make sure he arrived at the Principality Stadium on time.
However, receiving a message from his girlfriend was the inspiration he needed to make it to the finish in five days and two hours.He said he would not be making the same journey back to Kettering and had instead managed to arrange a lift back.Unfortunately Saints' could not reward him with victory, as they were beaten 28-20 by the French side during what was a chaotic match.
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Tigers defy 'doubters' with 'self-belief'
Michael Cheika nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders as he freely accepted Bath go into Saturday's Premiership Grand Final as overwhelming favourites against his Leicester Tigers it is not as if the Leicester head coach or his Tigers players will care."I know we will be doubted and probably for good reason from the results and the table," the 58-year-old Australian told BBC Radio Leicester."The important thing is that from inside the team and the group of people we have around, that we don't doubt and that we have belief."Tigers finished second in the table, 11 points adrift of a Bath side looking to complete a trophy treble, having already claimed the European Challenge Cup and Premiership Rugby Cup this were the first side to inflict a Premiership defeat on Tigers during Cheika's one-season reign, when they edged past the East Midlands club at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in September. They made it two from two this term in resounding fashion when they thumped Tigers 43-15 less than a month ago to emphasise their dominance in the league. Bath's head of rugby Johann van Graan has previously said the Somerset club are "comfortable with being favourites".Equally, Cheika says the role Leicester have been cast in and the widely predicted script suits his side."I can understand the predictions and why they make them, whether they are done from data or delivered by experts," the Tigers boss said."Come Saturday, we are going to be playing against a team that will be well fancied, who have dominated the season so far."We have strong self-belief internally and that will be something that will be really important. That is something we have built up over the season."But this is a good opportunity for us to use that belief in ourselves, because what that gives you is a hand in knowing what you will have to do."You will see in your mind when you close your eyes, what do I have to do in this game to get to where I want to go? It's not actually the end, where you have got the prize, but seeing what you need to do in order to get it."The weeks leading up to Tigers' attempt to secure a record-extending 12th Premiership title have been dominated by the impending mass exodus of star Leicester legends Ben Youngs and Dan Cole, as well as decorated former England team-mate Mike Brown, will retire at full-time on one-year stint at the helm will end too, in what is also a farewell match for captain Julian Montoya and two-time World Cup winning South African fly-half Handre the head coach is flying his wife and children over for the Twickenham decider, and playfully grimaces at the cost of doing so, he insists romanticising about leaving Leicester with the Premiership trophy in hand will not help their cause this week."We want to win for everyone," Cheika said."That title is no more important to them [the departing players] than it is for the other guys, or the guys that don't play, or the support team, or the crowd."It's a club, mate, and we are all part of the club."I don't think they would be upset with me for saying that. It's not about that, it's about us together."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Black sports trailblazer Billy Boston, 90, becomes rugby league's first knight
Billy Boston, who blazed a trail for Black sportspeople in Britain during the 1950s and '60s, became the first rugby league player to receive a knighthood in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. The 90-year-old Boston was given his knighthood at an investiture ahead of the official announcement of King Charles' birthday honors this week. It was brought forward amid concerns for Boston's health, Britain's Press Association reported. Born in the Welsh capital Cardiff, Boston is one of the greatest players in the history of rugby league, the 13-man code that split 130 years ago from the more widely played 15-a-side rugby union. He played 488 times for Wigan from 1953-68 and finished his career with a British-record haul of 571 tries. He also became the first Black player to represent Britain on the Lions tour Down Under in 1954, scoring 36 tries in 18 appearances in Australia and New Zealand, and featured in a total of 31 international test matches. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described Boston as a 'true trailblazer who's contributed hugely to rugby league.' 'Boston is a legend of the game who overcame prejudice to represent Great Britain and opened the door to a more diverse game," added Starmer, who wrote personally to Boston to congratulate him. 'He's left a truly enduring legacy and the first knighthood in rugby league could not go to a more deserving player.' Boston's honor came after a sustained campaign by local councillors and lawmakers as well as leading figures in rugby league, who have frequently pointed out the relative lack of recognition for the code — played largely in the north of England — compared to rugby union, which has seen 20 knights anointed. 'It is a historic wrong," Starmer said, "that a sport which is the backbone of so many communities has waited so long to receive this honor." Wigan owner Mike Danson said he was 'thrilled' by Boston's award, describing it as 'a richly deserved honor which means this most humble of men rightly receives, at last, fitting recognition for his extraordinary efforts." Boston, whose father was from west African country Sierra Leone, has been living with dementia. ___
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Rugby league star Sir Billy Boston's knighthood ‘a little bit late', says son
'Trailblazing' rugby league star Sir Billy Boston's honour came 'a little bit late', his son said, as his father became a knight in a first for the sport. Sir Billy, who scored 478 tries in 488 matches for Wigan after making the switch from rugby union in 1953, was knighted by the King in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. The 90-year-old, who was born in Wales, revealed in 2016 that he was living with vascular dementia. Speaking after his father was knighted, Sir Billy's son Stephen said: 'It's a really great honour. I think it has come a little bit late. It could have come a little bit earlier.' Sir Billy's knighthood was awarded before the latest round of honours has been publicly announced, amid concerns for his health. It comes after a campaign by local councillors, MPs and leading figures in the sport to get him honoured – and Sir Billy's family were supported by Josh Simons, the MP for Wakerfield, near Wigan, at the event. 'It should have been a lot, a lot sooner,' Sir Billy's son told the PA news agency. '130 years before a rugby league player got knighted. 'We're all really appreciative, and very appreciative of all the support we've got from Wigan, the rugby league club, the local MP and all the fans.' Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was an 'historic wrong' that no rugby league player had been knighted before. He said: 'Billy Boston is a true trailblazer who has contributed hugely to rugby league. It is a historic wrong that a sport which is the backbone of so many communities has waited so long to receive this honour. 'Boston is a legend of the game who overcame prejudice to represent Great Britain and opened the door to a more diverse game. 'He's left a truly enduring legacy and the first knighthood in rugby league could not go to a more deserving player.' It is understood the Prime Minister has written to Sir Billy to congratulate him on the honour. In 1954, he made history as the first non-white player to be selected for a Great Britain rugby league Lions tour, scoring 36 tries in 18 appearances around Australia and New Zealand, including a then-record four in one match against the Kiwis. He made two more Lions tours in 1958 and 1962 and ended with 24 tries in 31 Test appearances for Great Britain.
