Maldon rugby players cycle from London to Paris for tour

Maldon Rugby Club members, Alfie Degiorgio, Luke Morgan, Myles Dolphin, William Dines, and William Hayes, set off from Greenwich Park on bank holiday Monday.

They were joined by coach James Degiorgio and James Hayes.

The Maldon Rugby Club members at the Eiffel Tower (Image: Maldon Rugby Club) From London, they pedalled to Newhaven, where they boarded a ferry to Dieppe.

The next day, the team rode from Dieppe to Beauvais, and on the third day they arrived at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Coach James Degiorgio said: "The boys have been magnificent.

"We only organised the event seven weeks ago, and some of the lads had never ridden a road bike.

The Maldon Rugby Club members at the Eiffel Tower (Image: Maldon Rugby Club) "So they had to put in a lot of training, with the boys pretty much covering 1,000 miles each to get them ready to take on this challenge.

"I couldn’t be prouder of the lads, they've shown true grit and resilience over the past three days.

"They’ve demonstrated some of the core values that playing rugby has instilled in them.

"They’ve also managed to raise over £3,000, which is a stunning effort.

"I also have to thank James Hayes for joining me on the bike, it’s a big responsibility looking after lads on a ride like this.

"We were very lucky to have Jay and Liz Dines to drive along in a support van too.

"A great team effort. Well done to everyone involved - a great achievement."