IT was a wheelie big challenge!But the squad of Royal Air Force personnel serving with the Brigade Parachute Squadron at Wattisham Airfield pulled it off when they cycled around 13 rugby grounds in just five days.

IT was a wheelie big challenge!

But the squad of Royal Air Force personnel serving with the Brigade Parachute Squadron at Wattisham Airfield pulled it off when they cycled around 13 rugby grounds in just five days.

The nine bike-riders and three support staff covered more than 600 miles during their journey, picking up at least six punctures along the way as they visited the clubs in the Guinness Rugby Premiership and Twickenham, home of the national rugby side.

Sergeant Chris Bailey, 32, said: “We've done a couple of adventures to raise money for charity already. We've done 100 laps of our assault course and the three peaks challenge.

“So we were thinking of what to do next and thought of cycling. It was a fantastic challenge and we had fantastic weather.

“It was also really good for group moral. We are just starting the build up to go to Afghanistan next year so this training and team-building was great.”

As the group toured the grounds around the country, starting in Newcastle and ending in London, they collected sponsorship money and were also given signed shirts from some of the clubs to auction off.

So far the team has collected around £1,600 which will be split between the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Sgt Bailey added: “We have quite a strong link with the two charities.

“The daughter of the officer commanding, Pete Whiting, has Cystic Fibrosis and the wife of one of the instructors, Simon Siddons, has Multiple Sclerosis.

“So we are hoping to raise as much as possible and hope to get to £2,000.”

For more information about the challenge or to support the team visit www.cycletherugbypremiership.co.uk.

The grounds visited in order

Newcastle Falcons

Leeds Carnegie

Sale Sharks

Leicester Tigers

Worcester Warriors

Gloucester

Bristol

Bath

London Irish

Wasps

Saracens

Harlequins

Twickenham