Ken is Getting On His Bike for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Fundraiser

Former rugby player Ken Macaulay is taking on something totally different with a cycling challenge later on this year. 

Ken Macaulay is aiming to cycle around every Scottish rugby pitch he played on during his career as part of his charity challenge to raise funds for four charities.  

Earlier this year Ken was one of 75 players to be added to the sport’s roll of honour, recognising their contribution to international matches with retrospective caps. 

The 66-year-old received his cap 44 years after being picked for a Scotland squad which travelled to meet a France Select team in Bordeaux as part of a three match tour. 

In October he will embark on a 1,000-mile cycle starting and ending at Netherdale in Galashiels. 

Ken, who now lives on the Isle of Lewis, said: “I was very fortunate to be one of the beneficiaries of the SRU’s retrospective cap initiative earlier this year and this has got me thinking of a way to give something back as a thank you for being included in the process and as a token of my appreciation for everything the sport of rugby has given me over the years.  

“I’m going to try and visit every rugby club and pitch in Scotland I played on during my 30-year league rugby career.  

“Some of the grounds don’t exist any more and some of the clubs have disappeared but by my reckoning there are still 76 places for me to visit on the challenge!  

“This will take me well out of my comfort zone in three ways; I’m no longer a spring chicken, I cast a larger shadow than is necessary and I haven’t ever really done any meaningful cycling. But it’s too far to run and taking a car or van wouldn’t be much of a challenge!” 

Ken is raising money for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation (Scotland) and Prostate Scotland. 

Anne Magarin, Community, Events and Corporate Fundraiser for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be one of the charities that Ken is raising money for with his cycling effort.  

“This is an out of the ordinary fundraiser which will require extraordinary effort and we wish Ken all the very best. 

“Money raised by selfless people like Ken help us to support the 1 in 5 people across the country who are living with chest, heart and stroke conditions and Long Covid to live their lives to the full.” 

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is committed to reaching 175,000 people living with its conditions across Scotland a year by 2028 through its Community Healthcare Support Services. 

To support Ken’s fundraiser please here.

Find out more about fundraising for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. 

If you’re living with the effects of a chest, heart or stroke condition or Long Covid and looking for advice and information, please contact Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Advice Line on 0808 801 0899. You can also text NURSE to 66777 or email adviceline@chss.org.uk.