TEAM-MATES at Haddington Rugby Academy are tackling a half marathon walk this weekend to raise money for an important tournament.

On Sunday, two squads – the under-13s and under-14s – will walk from Dunbar Rugby Club at Hallhill along the John Muir Way and the Tyne river walk before finishing on their home turf at Mill Wynd.

Taking on the 13.1-mile distance are 37 youngsters alongside seven parents and coaches, as they reflect on a successful season.

Andrew Forrest, one of the coaches, said: “We wanted to challenge them in terms of the distance. We’ve decided to push them to the half-marathon distance.

“It will be outwith a lot of their comfort zones.

"Rugby is a game for all players and shapes and sizes, so a 13-mile walk at the same time might be fine for some but I think it might be challenging for some of the kids as well.

“There’s definitely a couple that maybe aren’t realising how extreme the challenge may be, or possibly how far the walk might be – I’ve been trying to hide that from them!”

The team are also looking ahead to next year, with a trip to the north of England set for May to compete in a rugby tournament.

Their sponsored walk this weekend will cover the costs of travel, accommodation, food and activities for the team.

Andrew added: “We’ve been trying to drill into them that fundraising doesn’t come easy – tours cost a lot of money, it can cost at least £8,000 in total to take them down there.

“As much as the parents are paying a chunk, we want them to realise that if you’re making money from fundraising, you have to work for it, so we’re challenging them to put in a big effort.”

Donations to the fundraiser can be made at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Haddington-Rugby-Academy-Tour