‘I'll never be able to repay Gary’: RWC heroines take on challenge for Street

A decade to the day that they started their quest for glory in France, England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 winners will begin a new challenge as they bid to raise £10,000 for their former coach.

Gary Street, who coached England between 2007-15 and led the team to their second World Cup title in Paris 10 years ago, has faced significant health challenges since suffering a stroke and complications – including a lung infection, emergency tracheotomy and sepsis – following a heart bypass last year.

With money needed so Street can access the therapy he needs to continue his recovery, the World Cup-winning squad has come together in an attempt to run, cycle, row and swim 2,014 kilometres and raise vital funds.

In total, 33 members of the playing and support staff that surged to success in France will take part in the challenge, which gets underway on August 1st, 10 years to the day that they played their opening match of Women’s RWC 2014 – a 65-3 win against Samoa.

The challenge will culminate with an event at Twickenham on 17 August, the 10th anniversary of their 21-9 final victory against Canada, where Street will be present and a celebratory lap of honour around the pitch is planned.

Participants in the challenge include current Red Roses Natasha Hunt, Alex Matthews, Emily Scarratt and captain Marlie Packer who will send GPS data from England’s WXV warm-up camp to be counted towards the total.

Aaron Crossman, who was an analyst with the England squad in 2014, set up the Just Giving page for the challenge and has added a tracker so that supporters can see how the squad is getting on in their bid to cover the distance over the next 17 days.

Katy Daley-Mclean captained England to glory at Stade Jean Bouin 10 years ago and has elected to run every day of the challenge – potentially with her two children in tow – to help the squad to its total.

“It's amazing to be able to do something,” Daley-Mclean told RugbyPass.

“All of us have obviously donated to Streety but the fact that we can do something like this, and the fact he's going to be there, he's going to do a little video to open it and celebrate on the 1st, I think it's just lovely.

“Look, I'll never be able to repay Gary for what he did for my career. There were some real moments for me when it was tough, and he backed me all the way.

“And if this little, small thing that we're doing now can just help make his life a little bit easier, can support with his speech and physical therapy then it's pretty amazing.”

A previous fundraising attempt for Street has raised more than £71,000 at the time of writing while a silent auction held in his honour in March contributed £18,407 to his recovery fund.

“It doesn't surprise me,” Daley-Mclean added about the outpouring of love and support that has flowed Street’s way from the rugby community.

“Because I think anybody who's met him, he's an inspirational bloke, he's the life and soul of the party. So, the fact that people can do this, and they can support in that way doesn't surprise me.

“I just hope that by us doing this, it just brings it [back into the spotlight]. It's gone a bit quiet. It's just another opportunity for people who maybe haven't seen or haven't been able to donate, to be able to do that and to support him.”

To keep support the 2014 World Cup winners’ challenge, click here