Teenage Red Roses’ fans Emma Chapman and Neve Lawrence have been keeping a closer eye than most on their team’s scorelines during the Rugby World Cup 2025.
The Warlingham RFC Wildcats have pledged to walk the same number of kilometres as points scored by the Red Roses to raise money for the RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF).
One can only imagine their faces on the final whistle of Red Roses’ pool game against Samoa which resulted in a 92 – 3 win!
The pair from Surrey have covered 208km in total over the past four weeks, with members of Warlingham Rugby Club supporting them on last week’s walk, timing their return to the clubhouse to perfection ready for England’s RWC Semi-Final win.
Emma and Neve have already smashed their £500 fundraising target for the IPF. The duo broke the £1,000 mark in the lead up to the RWC Final and are hoping the rugby family will continue to support them as they push for the final straight and use their Red Roses’ inspiration to help players off the pitch too.
The IPF supports players who have sustained a life-changing injury while playing rugby union in England. These are specifically injuries which result in the loss of or loss of use of a limb, catastrophic spinal cord injuries or acute severe traumatic brain injuries which result in permanent functional disability.
Thankfully, these kinds of injuries remain extremely rare in rugby. However, if one does occur, the IPF is on hand to offer wide-ranging support for players and their families which can be provided for life if needed. The IPF also funds research to improve injury management and players’ quality of life, as well as to reduce the risk of injury in rugby.
Explaining how the fundraising challenge for England Rugby’s charity came about, Emma said: “I’ve always wanted to do a rugby fundraiser and the Rugby World Cup seemed like the perfect time. When I first came up with the idea, I didn’t have any Rugby World Cup tickets. I wanted to link the walk to the world cup so I could feel connected to it and be part of that community.
“I put a poll on my Instagram and asked people to suggest charities I could raise money for. I researched all the suggestions and the IPF really stuck out for me because of the amazing work they do. What I loved was that, as well as helping the injured player, the IPF also supports their families and that sums up the rugby community for me.
“I love rugby because it always has your back. It can also sometimes be an escape from things. I’ve made so many friends through rugby who are now like family to me. They’ve always been there for me.
“Warlingham Rugby Club has been really supportive. I’ve been at the club since I was five, when I joined the minis, and it’s been really nice to have them behind me, encouraging me. They’ve been sharing my story, creating videos to promote the challenge and getting my fundraising link out. Seven of us from the club did last Saturday’s walk together which was fun.”
Speaking about how the Red Roses inspire her, Emma said: “I think the Red Roses are truly brilliant, there’s a proper community feel about the team. They make sure they get round to see supporters after the games and for me as a young player, they inspire the next generation to be who they want to be. They’ve put no limit on what they can do and who they want to be.”
Emma will be at the RWC Finals at the Allianz Stadium with her grandad Stephen on Saturday and can’t wait to cheer on the Red Roses while also keeping track of how many kilometres to walk the following week.
“Grandad has taken me to a couple of games in the Six Nations, but this is our first together in the world cup,” she added. “My parents and I managed to get resale tickets for New Zealand against Ireland and then dad surprised me with England v Australia tickets the next day in Brighton, which was incredible.
“Emily Scarratt gave me a cowboy hat at their game against France in the Six Nations which was awesome as Scaz is Neve’s and my favourite player, as well as Meg! I’ll be wearing the cowboy hat with pride when I’m supporting the Red Roses on Saturday!”
If you would like to support Emma and Neve’s challenge, head to their fundraising page here
For more information about the RFU Injured Players Foundation visit RFUIPF.org.uk
See highlights from the walk here
