A FOURTEEN-year-old rugby player in Bradford on Avon is running to raise funds to help vulnerable young people.

Harrison Sheppard, a Year 9 pupil at the Clarendon Academy school in Trowbridge, has been running during the Covid-19 lockdown to keep fit.

Now he plans to run the 89-mile distance between Trowbridge RFC to Twickenham to raise funds for the Bath Rugby Foundation, which helps vulnerable and under-privileged children in Bath and the surrounding areas.

Harrison, of New Road, Bradford on Avon, said: “I am working hard to maintain my fitness through the lockdown as I cannot play rugby right now, and I have started running every day.

“I am planning on running the same distance from my club, Trowbridge RFC, to Twickenham stadium which is 89 miles, or 143.23km during the next few weeks while I am at home and off school.

“I’d like to raise money for the Bath Rugby Foundation because they help vulnerable children and young people in Bath and the surrounding area to succeed using the core values of rugby, to help develop young people mentally and physically. “Their ambition is to change the lives of vulnerable children and young people who have not been given that equal chance of success.”

The Foundation ran a Project Rugby course at the end of 2019/beginning of 2020 at Trowbridge RFC providing free rugby training workshops for young people.

Harrison is a keen rugby player, having started playing at the age of seven, and a member of the Trowbridge RFC U14 squad.

While he is off school and the rugby club is closed until further notice, he has been working hard at home to maintain his fitness, and practices his rugby skills daily.

He has also taken up running every day during lockdown and decided to use his exercise time to raise money for the charity by running every day, aiming to complete the distance by the beginning of June.

His mum, Julie Sheppard, said: “Harrison believes strongly in the core values of rugby and supports the Bath Rugby Foundation because they empower vulnerable children and young people using those values.”

So far Harrison has raised £375 after smashing through his £250 target. To donate, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/trfctotwickenham

For the Bath Rugby Foundation, visit www.bathrugbyfoundation.com/