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RUGBY SEVENS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPTS HELD AT SANDBACH RUGBY CLUB
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Thousands of pounds raised for rugby mental health charity LooseHeadz
Sandbach Rugby Club were delighted to host LooseHeadz as they made two Guinness World Records attempts for the longest games of men’s and women’s rugby sevens.
The men’s benchmark, which previously stood at 24 hours and 30 minutes, was surpassed on the afternoon of Saturday 25th July, with the provisional new record of 28 hours established. The women’s participants set a provisional record time of 28 hours. Both records will now await official verification from Guinness World Records.
Bradwall Road welcomed a host of players, physios, caterers, volunteers and support staff, all working together to deliver a smooth and successful event.
Sandbach RUFC’s own Rob Smith-Owen played in the event and told BBC Radio Stoke that it was “incredible, hard, tough, emotional, crazy, just a phenomenal event.” Rob, a senior player and Under 7s coach, added that “you're just physically and mentally exhausted". He said, “One of the lads had a tracker and worked out we did around 83 miles each as a player in 28 hours.”
Former England international and British & Irish Lions forward George Kruis described the atmosphere at Sandbach, on and off the pitch, as “unbelievable”.
The challenge raises awareness and funds for rugby mental health charity LooseHeadz, with over £70,000 so far having been donated.
LooseHeadz is rugby's mental health movement. Founded in 2017, the charity's mission is to place a mental health champion in every rugby club around the world, ensuring that no player, member or supporter has to struggle alone.
Sandbach RUFC’s relationship with LooseHeadz began in 2024 when they hosted the inaugural ‘Bradley Peace Memorial Cup’ between Sandbach Social XV and LooseHeadz RFC. Last summer, LooseHeadz returned for a thrilling double header, featuring both women’s and men’s matches alongside family-friendly celebrations off the pitch.
Both events were organised by Sandbach’s Mike Grapes in conjunction with LooseHeadz. Mike went on to be nominated for ‘The LooseHead of the Year’ in the LooseHeadz Community Awards 2025, which celebrated the unsung community heroes of rugby and the people who make the game and LooseHeadz so unique. Mike also volunteered at the 24/7s world record attempt.
LooseHeadz RFC will return to Bradwall Road on Saturday 29th August for another exciting contest against a Sandbach Senior XV.
Support for the 24/7s challenge was boosted by the involvement of George Kruis. Coaches included former England Rugby Sevens captain and World Sevens Player of the Year Ollie Phillips, former Irish international Anna Caplice and ex-Fiji internationals Niko Matawalu and Vereniki Goneva.
Former England international, George Kruis, said:
“Being part of LooseHeadz’ 24/7s challenge was one of the toughest but most rewarding rugby experiences I’ve ever had.
“You could feel the purpose behind every minute, and while we were chasing a world record, more importantly, we were raising awareness for mental health in our sport.
“The atmosphere at Sandbach, on and off the pitch, was unbelievable and it showed the power of community rugby.”
Co-founder of LooseHeadz, Rob Shotton, said:
“Attempting two new world records is an incredible achievement, but what stands out most is the collective effort it took to get there.
“From the players grinding through the early hours to the officials, physios, volunteers and supporters who never stopped cheering, 24/7s has shown exactly what the rugby community can do when it comes together.
“Every pass, tackle and step taken over those many hours helps us raise vital funds and keep pushing our mission to place a mental health champion in every rugby club in the world.”
Donations to support the 24/7s challenge and LooseHeadz’s work across the rugby community can be made via the JustGiving website at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/24-7s.
Donations to Rob Smith-Owen’s LooseHeadz 24/7s fundraising can be made via the JustGiving website at https://www.justgiving.com/page/rob-smith-owen-4.
For more information on LooseHeadz, visit https://looseheadz.co.uk/ and follow #TackleTheStigma
The men’s benchmark, which previously stood at 24 hours and 30 minutes, was surpassed on the afternoon of Saturday 25th July, with the provisional new record of 28 hours established. The women’s participants set a provisional record time of 28 hours. Both records will now await official verification from Guinness World Records.
Bradwall Road welcomed a host of players, physios, caterers, volunteers and support staff, all working together to deliver a smooth and successful event.
Sandbach RUFC’s own Rob Smith-Owen played in the event and told BBC Radio Stoke that it was “incredible, hard, tough, emotional, crazy, just a phenomenal event.” Rob, a senior player and Under 7s coach, added that “you're just physically and mentally exhausted". He said, “One of the lads had a tracker and worked out we did around 83 miles each as a player in 28 hours.”
Former England international and British & Irish Lions forward George Kruis described the atmosphere at Sandbach, on and off the pitch, as “unbelievable”.
The challenge raises awareness and funds for rugby mental health charity LooseHeadz, with over £70,000 so far having been donated.
LooseHeadz is rugby's mental health movement. Founded in 2017, the charity's mission is to place a mental health champion in every rugby club around the world, ensuring that no player, member or supporter has to struggle alone.
Sandbach RUFC’s relationship with LooseHeadz began in 2024 when they hosted the inaugural ‘Bradley Peace Memorial Cup’ between Sandbach Social XV and LooseHeadz RFC. Last summer, LooseHeadz returned for a thrilling double header, featuring both women’s and men’s matches alongside family-friendly celebrations off the pitch.
Both events were organised by Sandbach’s Mike Grapes in conjunction with LooseHeadz. Mike went on to be nominated for ‘The LooseHead of the Year’ in the LooseHeadz Community Awards 2025, which celebrated the unsung community heroes of rugby and the people who make the game and LooseHeadz so unique. Mike also volunteered at the 24/7s world record attempt.
LooseHeadz RFC will return to Bradwall Road on Saturday 29th August for another exciting contest against a Sandbach Senior XV.
Support for the 24/7s challenge was boosted by the involvement of George Kruis. Coaches included former England Rugby Sevens captain and World Sevens Player of the Year Ollie Phillips, former Irish international Anna Caplice and ex-Fiji internationals Niko Matawalu and Vereniki Goneva.
Former England international, George Kruis, said:
“Being part of LooseHeadz’ 24/7s challenge was one of the toughest but most rewarding rugby experiences I’ve ever had.
“You could feel the purpose behind every minute, and while we were chasing a world record, more importantly, we were raising awareness for mental health in our sport.
“The atmosphere at Sandbach, on and off the pitch, was unbelievable and it showed the power of community rugby.”
Co-founder of LooseHeadz, Rob Shotton, said:
“Attempting two new world records is an incredible achievement, but what stands out most is the collective effort it took to get there.
“From the players grinding through the early hours to the officials, physios, volunteers and supporters who never stopped cheering, 24/7s has shown exactly what the rugby community can do when it comes together.
“Every pass, tackle and step taken over those many hours helps us raise vital funds and keep pushing our mission to place a mental health champion in every rugby club in the world.”
Donations to support the 24/7s challenge and LooseHeadz’s work across the rugby community can be made via the JustGiving website at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/24-7s.
Donations to Rob Smith-Owen’s LooseHeadz 24/7s fundraising can be made via the JustGiving website at https://www.justgiving.com/page/rob-smith-owen-4.
For more information on LooseHeadz, visit https://looseheadz.co.uk/ and follow #TackleTheStigma
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