Rugby festival welcomes TV star

Thursday 19th April 2012

TV presenter, explorer and writer Monty Halls will attend a rugby fundraising festival event in Warwickshire next month in aid of armed forces charities.

The Fisherman's Apprentice host will be the guest of honour at the Rugby For Heroes Festival hosted by Old Leamingtonians RFC in Leamington Spa from May 18 to 20.

All profits generated from the festival, in its fourth consecutive year, will be donated to Help For Heroes, the Royal British Legion and The Afghanistan Trust. A contribution will also be made to 353, a not for profit organisation set up by the family of Private Conrad Lewis, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in February 2011.

Help For Heroes patron and former Royal Marines officer, Monty, will be on hand to sign autographs and present awards on the Saturday and Sunday and will also be turning out for the Old Leamingtonians in a veterans tournament taking place on the Saturday.

Since leaving the services in 1996, Monty has worked in some of the most demanding environments on earth, won Channel 4's Superhuman and presented programmes for the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4 and the History Channel.

The event will kick off with a real ale festival on May 18 including live performances by local bands The Tindalls and Andrew James & Paul Johnstone.

On May 19 there will be mens' veterans and Ladies' 10s rugby tournaments, including guest appearances by teams from the RAF, the Parachute Regiment, Army veterans, Metropolitan Police and a host of county and touring sides. There will also be an evening jump by the Parachute Regiment Red Devils' parachute display team.

There will also be stalls, entertainment and campsite. A remembrance service will be held each day and led by the Warwick Branch of the Royal British Legion.

Tickets cost £10 for adults for the whole weekend while admission for under 18s is free. To register to take part or bring a team to play visit http://www.rugbyforheroes.org or contact Mike Vallance on trekmonkey46@aol.com or 07545 602029.

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