The camaraderie on and off the field at Fishguard and Goodwick Rugby Club was never more in evidence than yesterday (Saturday) when the current Seagulls’ team, coached by Nathan and Steve Jenkins, beat Loughor 31-5 in a league match and later supported the magnificent fund-raising efforts of a number of former players in their quest to help another ex-player in Myles McDuff.
 
Myles, a tough as teak No 8 who played at The Moors some two decades ago, is now back living in The Land of the Long White Cloud with his wife Helen and children Greer and William, and has Motor Neurone Disease so when John Miles, another former Seagull and now a physiotherapist with the Welsh Rugby Union, heard about it decided the club should do something positive to help an old team-mate.
 
John had travelled out to New Zealand with team-mate Tim Jones and they had spent some time with Myles’ parents Robbie and Elaine, enjoying their legendary hospitality, and he set up the ‘Four Miles for Myles’ event on ‘Justgiving’ and set the challenge for as many Fishguard people, as well as anyone else who wanted to give support, to run, walk, cycle, swim, skip or any other way to achieve a four-mile target for the month to gain sponsorship.
 
He recruited other big characters from the club, like former coach Randall Williams, current youth coach Alan Phillips, chairman Jonathan ‘J.J.’ Jones and another New Zealander still living in the area in Ray Lerwill – and the eagerness to help spread across this country, New Zealand and South Africa.
 
Phil Williams had met a New Zealander in Fishguard and it lead to his son Randall starting the link between Fishguard and New Zealand when he went over to play for Hauraki North and met up with Myles in the team. They hit it off and when Myles came to the UK to play for Skipton (Yorkshire) he travelled down to Wales – and eventually joined The Seagulls, although he told us,
“In the first training session I didn’t catch one pass and the coaches must have thought I was a waste of time!”
 
Be that as it may, he was such a potent force in the back row that he was regularly man of the match before eventually returning home. Now 45, this has been Myles’ first lengthy visit back and told us,
“I wanted my family to see where I enjoyed such a great time playing rugby.”
 



Then John Miles and Tim Jones were the next Seagulls to go to New Zealand and both stayed with the McDuff family and John told us,

“They were so generous as we also played for Hauraki North and really benefitted from the experience, so helping now was the least we could do.”
 

 

Alan Phillips then decided to go to New Zealand and enjoyed great hospitality with Robbie and Elaine at their dairy farm, which was situated just an hour away from Hamilton, in the north island and Waikato, causing them to say afterwards that for the first two weeks there he didn’t seem to have his head out of the fridge. It is a description that Alan vigorously denies now but says he will never forget their kindness.
 
John Miles organised a superb series of videos outlining the support, which included messages from the likes of Sir Gareth Edwards, Warren Gatland, South African current stars in skipper Siya Kolisi and Bongo Mbonambi, current Welsh players Leigh Halfpenny, Gareth Anscombe, Nick Tomkins, Ken Owens and Jonathan Davies – plus Kevin Sinfield OBE, who has done so much to raise the profile of MND with great friend and rugby league legend Rob Burrow. There was even one from TV presenter and celebrity Gethin Jones – he of ‘Strictly’ fame!



 
At the time of writing the ‘Justgiving’ appeal had reached an amazing £15, 564 total and was still climbing quickly, whilst a similar appeal in New Zealand had amassed 14,000 dollars.

But the icing on the cake came on Saturday evening at Theatr Gwaun in Fishguard where 175 supporters flocked to enjoy a special ‘Evening With Steve Jones’, where the brilliant ex-Wales and Scarlets outside half was in great form alongside rugby commentator and top after-dinner speaker Phil Steele, who now lives in what he describes as ‘Equatorial Taffs Well’ between Cardiff and Pontypridd.
 
The audience was enthralled by the question and answer session and afterwards a fantastic auction raised about £10,000 to boost the total raised as Steve Jones stayed late into the evening and chatted to anyone who wanted a word with him. There was a British Lions shirt signed by all the players and management, other signed Welsh jerseys, signed New Zealand shirts donated by Brodie Ritaleck and Sam Kane, a gift from Warren Gatland and even the chance to have a place-kicking session with our own Leigh Halfpenny, which was snapped up for £1,000!




 
The undoubted highlight came when the framed Lions’ jersey was bought for £5,000 and there was hardly a dry eye when the purchaser presented it to Myles, who immediately asked if he could re-present it to be displayed in the clubhouse of Fishguard and Goodwick RFC as a memento of the wonderful support he had received!
 
John Miles told PembrokeshireSport.co.uk,
“It has been a pleasure to be involved in such a worthwhile cause and I would like to thank all the celebrities who have provided videos of support and helped boost our fund’s profile – but especially the boys from Fishguard & Goodwick Rugby Club and their families who worked so hard.
 
“I know Myles is very moved by the support and I’m sure that coming to Fishguard has been a real boost to him at this time.”