Leeds Rhinos legends & St Helens icon cycle from Washington DC to New York for Rugby League Cares
Two former Leeds Rhinos stars are saddling up to tackle the biggest challenge since they hung up their boots.
Adrian Morley and Shaun Lunt will take part in a gruelling cycling adventure in the United States next month to raise money for the charity Rugby League Cares. They will join St Helens legend Paul Sculthorpe MBE and 14 other riders to take on DC2NYC, a 400-mile ride between the US capital Washington DC and Central Park in the heart of New York City.
All proceeds raised on the ride will be used by RL Cares to fund the health and wellbeing programmes it delivers to people of all ages and backgrounds across rugby league communities. These include Offload - which is currently being delivered across Leeds in partnership with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation - and monthly brain health clinics supporting players, past and present, suffering from conditions like poor memory, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Morley joined Rugby League Cares in a full-time role as wellbeing manager and player ambassador earlier this year. The former forward, who made 149 appearances for Leeds form 1995-2000, said: “It’s going to be a really tough challenge, but an unforgettable experience and I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’ve been lucky enough to take part in the last three RL Cares cycling challenges and they get harder every year. Three years ago, we rode to New York from Niagara Falls and that was an amazing week, so it’s good to be going back.
“I’m also looking forward to spending a week in the saddle with Lunty and Scully. Me and Paul are proud to be the two youngest players in the RL Hall of Fame and it’s a real privilege to be in the position to put something back into the game for a charity that does so much good.”
While Morley is a veteran of long-distance cycling challenges, having also ridden across the Pyrenees from Biarritz to Perpignan in 2023 and around Ireland’s Wild Atlantic coast last year, the DC2NYC ride will be a new experience for Lunt, a member of the Rhinos’ 2012 Super League Grand Final-winning team. “I’ve never done anything like this before and I don’t even own a bike so I’m expecting the worst,” quipped the former hooker.
“I have been doing a lot of work on a static bike in the gym, which I hope will be helpful, but I’m sure Moz, Scully and all the other riders will get me through it. I spent a bit of time working with RL Cares a couple of years ago and know from first-hand experience what a brilliant job they do and how important they are to so many people.”
Other riders taking part include Phil Gildon - who works for Pickups Storage, long-time sponsors of the Rhinos - and former York and Dewsbury player James Elston, the ex-Wakefield Trinity chief executive. Elston, who is also a junior coach at Oulton Raiders, is sponsoring the event through his Wakefield-based home energy company Green Central.
The route of DC2NYC takes the riders past some of the world’s most iconic landmarks, including the White House, the Lincoln Monument, the Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and the steps leading up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, up which Sylvester Stallone ran in the Hollywood film, Rocky.
The riders set out from Washington on Sunday, September 7 and are due to arrive in Manhattan the following Friday. Morley added: “Rugby league fans are the greatest in sport and the most generous. It would be great if people could give what they can to show their support for the riders and for the work of a charity that makes such a great difference.”
To sponsor Morley, Lunt or any of the riders, please click on this link.