PRA Team take on The London Triathlon for Players' Benevolent Fund

The intrepid team of triathlon novices will be led by CEO Damian Hopley and Chairman David Barnes. Both Hopley and Barnes are experienced fund raisers: Hopley cycled across the Pyrenees last October and Barnes climbed Kilimanjaro last summer, both to raise funds for the Players Charity. Despite this, PDM (and former Northampton player) Matt Allen is the hot favourite to cross the line in the fastest time, whilst team mates Alex Anderson, Zoe Eaton, Caroline Guthrie, Fiona Hackett, Louise Kaiser and Laura Murchie will just be relieved to get that far.

The PRA triathletes will be raising funds to add to the thousands already raised this year by players from Bristol Rugby, whose Icecycle took them around Iceland on two wheels in May, and Saracens players and fitness staff, who kayaked 200km down Norway's Sogenfjord in June.

Between them, the Bristol and Saracens peddlers and paddlers have raised over £15,000 to date to help support players who have been forced to retire from the game due to serious illness and injury.

PRA Welfare Manager Alex Anderson said: "Both Damian and Barnesy went the extra miles last summer to raise funds for the Benevolent Fund, so the rest of us had very little choice in getting involved in this year's fund raising efforts. Our preparations have been a touch hit and miss - there is much trepidation about the swim phase, and the sight of the PRA team lapping Richmond Park on bike or foot has been conspicuous by its absence - but we are all looking forward to the challenge of getting round - eventually, and raising a significant amount for the Players charity."

You can keep up to date with the exploits of the PRA Triathletes as they build up to the race by visiting their blog at www.prarugby.com/triathlon

To donate to the PRA Triathletes Just Giving site, supporting the PRA Benevolent Fund, visit http://www.justgiving.com/pratriathlon