Bedford Blues raised a Ladies Day total of £11,000 for Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in Moggerhanger following the special events before and after the match against Hartpury University last month.
A Champ Rugby cracker on the hallowed turf of Goldington Road was matched by another cracking afternoon of activation off it, raising money for a very deserved and worthwhile charitable cause, close to a lot of people’s hearts across Bedfordshire.
The loyal #BluesFamily raised the staggering amount via a number of different means – raffles, auctions and collections at the club’s seventeenth staging of the now annual event. The majority of the money came from the ever-popular post-match jersey auction with MC Sam Roberts.
Sue Ryder volunteers and Bedford supporters managed to make Goldington Road a sea of pink and blue for the day to raise another staggering amount, taking the total fundraising for St John’s Hospice to over £40,000 in the past three years.
Since inception, £150,000 has been raised for the various charities the club has partnered with, which include Cancer Research, Breast Cancer UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.
It was another glorious day for Mike Rayer’s men as they retained their remarkable Ladies Day record with a dramatic 38-30 victory over Hartpury University.
A first victory of the campaign came despite an early yellow card and leaking points in the first half, twice falling 10 points behind, but this side seem to find a new level when wearing pink and some late heroics saw them turn things around.
The record try scorer on Ladies Day, Dean Adamson, dotted down with time in the red to send Goldington Road into rapture, and leave Hartpury dejected and without a single bonus point.
George Worth, Oisin Heffernan, Archie Benson, Joey Conway and Kayde Sylvester also scored tries to ensure Bedford got the full five points, before an evening of entertainment and fundraising.
Victory kickstarted a run of form for Bedford who head into December on a five-game winning streak following further successes against Ampthill, Doncaster Knights, London Scottish and Caldy.
After a summer refresh of the second tier in English Rugby, renamed Champ Rugby, points really do make prizes with a lucrative play-off system in May. Victories over sides like Hartpury – expected to be in and around the top six – will prove crucial come the end of the season.
A joyful day on and off the pitch, always a calendar favourite, and a great way to give back to the Bedfordshire community through fundraising to a more than worthwhile cause.
Senior Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, Nick Burr said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to Bedford Blues and their wonderful supporters for their ongoing support. The incredible generosity shown at the 2025 Ladies Day event will help us continue offering vital care and support to families during the toughest times.”
Find out more about Bedford Blues via our website.
