The Race To Rugby World Cup Pod Ron Rutland

209 days later, around 16 000km later, 11 countries and so many good people that Ron & Adam have met. They come to you from Auckland, New Zealand where they have been off the bike for 2 weeks, and for the first time in a while, don’t have sore legs. They wrap-up their amazing journey from Turangi to Auckland, where they officially handed over the Rugby World Cup whistle to Maggie Cogger-Orr at Eden Park on Saturday 8 October 2022.

Highlights of this leg included visiting Cycling New Zealand at the High Performance Center in Cambridge; visiting the DHL team at their brand new service center near the airport and having an amazing welcoming ceremony in Whangārei. This was one of the most special experiences that both Ron & Adam have engaged in and they are so grateful to Northland Rugby for the warm welcome.

Arriving at Eden Park was something so special, emotions were high and the reality that Ron & Adam had cycled all the way from Tokyo with the whistle became a surreal thought. They handed over the whistle and then spent the afternoon watching a few great matches from the hospitality suite. What a day of being able to enjoy the rugby and look back on their journey.

Ron & Adam have seriously enjoyed producing this podcast, can’t explain the growth they have experienced since March 2022 and leave us with the message - start small, tour where you would like to go and start. You will never regret it.

Thank you to all the people who have fed and housed Ron & Adam along their way to Auckland. BIG LOVE.

Catch you when we are on our way to France for Rugby World Cup 2023!

Ron & Adam catch up with Alex Baddeley, a friend of Ron's, who joined the duo on Day 183 in Invercargill. Alex has had the opportunity to cycle across his country and has acknowledged that it really is one of the most incredible ways to see New Zealand. He was able to adapt to the cycling routine quickly and has proven to be a great support with all the pronunciation of places in New Zealand. 

Ron & Adam talk through their route from Invercargill, one of the most southern parts of the world that the trio have been to and started making their way towards Auckland, where they will hand over the official Rugby World Cup whistle to referee, Maggie Cogger-Orr. The weather has been temperamental but towns that they have camped in and visited have been beautiful. 

On their way to Auckland, they were able to visit Wellington Girls College - which is where the first ever female game of rugby was played - which was a special stop on our way to the Women's Rugby World Cup a week later. They also were able to visit the New Zealand Rugby Museum, which brought back a few great memories for Ron. There is a lot of other interesting history, especially seeing the old official whistle which Ron & Adam were able to compare theirs to! 

This whole journey is to raise awareness and funds for ChildFund Rugby, an amazing charity that promotes community growth and development through sport. Please donate if you can via our website, www.racetorugbyworldcup.com. 

Ron and Adam come to us from Wellington, New Zealand to tell us about their journey from Brisbane to Fiji and then their cycle from Brisbane down to Sydney, Australia - which wraps up their 6 weeks in Australia. 

They flew into Nadi, Fiji from Brisbane and were privileged to experience Fijian's love of the game of rugby. Fiji was an important country for Ron & Adam to visit for two reasons, one that they have teams playing in the 2021 and 2023 Rugby World Cups but also to acknowledge the work that ChildFund Rugby is doing in Fiji. They had an extremely special day with the DHL Express team in Fiji and another great day on a fellow Pretoria Boys High boy's fishing charter. Thank you for that!

They flew back to Brisbane and got back on the bikes towards Sydney, via cool surfing towns and with a few great coffees along the way. Ron & Adam got to explore towns that they did not have high expectations for and these places would come to completely change their opinions of them. From watching the Springboks vs Wallabies in a bowling club in Maclean to being treated to great accommodation by Wyndham Hotels group, this part of their cycle has been beautiful and so interesting. Only thing is that they wish they could have seen a koala! 

A huge thank you to the team at ChildFund who hosted an epic fundraiser lunch in Sydney & thank you to all the people who donated on that day. If you are able to (and if you are inspired by this story so far), please donate to ChildFund Rugby via our website, www.racetorugbyworldcup.com. 

Ron & Adam sit down with Mere Baker, a Former World Cup Winning Kiwifern and Aotearoa 7s International player. Mere is a Sky Sport and Maori TV commentator as well as an ambassador for ChildFund, the charity that Ron & Adam are currently raising funds for as they cycle to the Rugby World Cup 2021 to deliver the official whistle to the opening match. 

With the excitement growing in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup starting in October, Mere shares more women in sport and the growth of women's rugby all over the world.

If you are able to, please donate to ChildFund Rugby here: www.racetorugbyworldcup.com 

Adam and Ron talk us through their time in Townsville, Queensland, down to Rockhampton and further south towards Brisbane. A few adjustments to the amounts of people following a few weeks in the Outback and a few great meals 

Ron and Adam met a few other adventure-seeking junkies, budding professional athletes and other outdoor adventurers. We are always amazed when we find out about different people's journeys and travels and how we have ended up in the same hotel/campsite. 

Saw a platypus (Adam's highlight), a few kangaroos and other amazing Australian wildlife. Ron had a few great friends join the cycle from Gympie, past the Sunshine Coast towards Colundra. Definitely a highlight of our trip so far! 

Please remember to donate to ChildFund Rugby via www.racetorugbyworldcup.com. All donations go directly to ChildFund! 





Day 139 

Adam and Ron talk us through their journey from the border crossing of Indonesia and Timor Leste, as well as their trek across the outback of Australia, starting in Darwin. Smiling children helped them get through the tougher days and the beautiful coastline on the way to Dili kept spirits up. They got to visit the ChildFund offices in Timor Leste and were made to feel like part of the team there, which also gave Ron & Adam further insight into the amazing work that ChildFund does. Ron & Adam were really humbled and impressed seeing the passion that people have to commit to the growth of their communities in Timor Leste. Thanks to the New Zealand Embassy for hosting us in Dili too. 

They chat about the excitement about arriving in Darwin, a friendly interaction with border patrol and a sense of relief in being able to communicate in English. Headwinds & long days were made better by having cold water on the bike & having a warm shower at the end of a day. Thanks to the kind souls that hosting us along the way! If you want to cycle across the Outback, this is the episode to listen to! Ron & Adam have a few interesting stories and experiences that they share in this episode. 

Listen up if you want to hear the names of Adam's two future children & remember to donate to ChildFund if you can! www.racetorugbyworldcup.com