Leeds Carnegie to raise funds for former player Parks

19th April 2011

This Easter Sunday will see Leeds Carnegie take on Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership, a massive clash with survival on the line.  Not only will Leeds be going all out to win, they will also be going all out to raise funds for former Leeds player Richard Parks and his world first 737 Challenge. 

Richard, who was forced to retire from rugby in 2009 due to a shoulder injury was part of the Leeds rugby union team that won the Powergen Cup in 2005.

Collections will take place at the match for the 737 Challenge, which is raising funds in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The final day of the season will also see a special players reunion event to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the club's promotion to the Premiership for the first time and will see a host of former players enjoy a pre-match meal and meet up with former team mates.  Whilst Parks’ old team mates re live their Leeds memories, he’ll be starting his climb of Mount Everest, the 7^th leg of his 737 Challenge and the highest mountain on earth.

Richard is now into the 5^th month and day 129 of his epic 7-month race to climb the highest summits on each of the world’s continents and reach the North and South poles.  If successful, Richard will become the first person to stand on the continental summits and all 3 poles (the North Pole, South Pole and the summit of Everest) in the same calendar year.

So far Richard has summited 4 of the famous 7 summits and travelled the last degrees to reach both the North and South Poles.  He is currently trekking to Everest Base Camp with 2 times Olympic gold medallist rower Steve Williams where they will then begin their ascent of the world’s highest peak.  Richard will then move on to Denali in Alaska before finishing his 737 Challenge on Mount Elbrus in Russia.

Disappointed that he couldn’t join the former players for the big Leeds reunion but thrilled that the club will be raising funds for his challenge this Sunday, Richard stated; “I couldn’t be more proud that Leeds have supported me throughout my challenge and to know that the match on Easter Sunday will be raising funds for the 737 Challenge, which is raising funds in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care is just awesome.  It is totally humbling to know that so many people in Yorkshire are behind me and I wish everyone at Leeds the very best of luck for Sunday’s big match”.

Richard’s parents, Lee and Derek and members of the 737 Challenge team will be attending the day in Richard’s absence.

Leeds remain level on points with Newcastle in the Aviva Premiership, and with the fight for premiership survival in the balance, Leeds head coach Neil Back is hoping for a packed Headingley in Sunday’s crucial encounter; “It is a must-win game and we need the whole of Yorkshire to come down and support us”.

Please show your support for both Leeds and Richard Parks by turning out in force this Sunday for the big end of season clash at Headingley Carnegie.  Kick off is at 15:00.  To buy tickets just click below.