RUGBY players are set to tackle a gruelling fitness challenge to raise money for charity and inspire the youth of Harwich.

Joe Francis, Sean Mills, Dean Splarn, Steven Tucker and Guy Harris are all members of Harwich and Dovercourt Rugby Club, with most of them in semi-retirement from the sport.

With a 1.2-mile open water swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run, all in under eight hours, the half Iron Man is only surpassed by its big brother, the full Iron Man, known as one of the toughest triathlon challenges in the world.

They aim to raise more than £4,000 for charity by completing the Staffordshire event on June 15 next year, with MacMillan Cancer Support and Smile Train, which provides free cleft repair surgeries to children in need, as the chosen causes.

But Joe has another reason for taking part.

“I was on the school field in the summer doing athletics with a group of Year Eight children and I was watching kids that couldn’t run one lap around the track,” the 34-year-old added.

“I thought it was terrible, so I wanted to inspire them.”

To raise funds for the event, the team is holding an old skool anthems night at Harwich and Dovercourt Rugby Club as an after-party to the Guy Carnival on October 25.

Tickets cost £5 for the party, which will see garage, drum ‘n’ bass and house anthems from the past 25 years entertain the audience.

Tickets will be available on the door, from the club at weekends, or at Harwich Tool Hire.

For more information, visit the Harwich RUFC Facebook page, or to sponsor the team, go to justgiving.com/Joe-Francis2