CAP 1215: The Challenge

In February of this year, Ken was awarded his Scotland cap retrospectively at a ceremony at Scottish Gas Murrayfield which recognised his selection for a Scotland squad who played a French select team in Bordeaux in April 1980.

During the retrospective international cap project, a total of 75 male players were awarded retrospective caps with Ken’s cap being number 1215.  

The project got him back in touch with old rugby friends and ignited a spark to give something back to the game he loves. Ken has decided to take on the challenge of raising £1215 for four charities close to him through a gruelling 1020-mile cycle which will see him visit the 76 clubs across Scotland which he played at.

Talking about taking on the challenge Ken said: “I’ve been told I’m mad, I’m bonkers. People who know a lot more about cycling than me have told me that I should be doing six months’ worth of training before I attempt something like this.”

The former Gala, Heriot’s and North Berwick player has only had about six to eight weeks of ‘proper’ training with another four weeks to go until he departs from Netherdale on Saturday 5 October, but as Ken admits: “There’s no going back now!”  

“Last week was the best week of training I’ve had; I’m just trying to build it up. The weather has been so bad [where he now lives on the Isle of Lewis] that training has been particularly tough but then it’s my own fault [in wanting to do the challenge], there’s no point bleating about it, just got to get on with it!

“I need to build up to doing long successive days as that’s what I’ll be in doing in October. The seasoned cyclists tell me I should have longer to prepare but here we are! 

“I’m going to be undercooked come October, but I’ll not be as undercooked as some people think!” 

He has chosen to support four charities in his cycle quest; Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland, Prostate Scotland, Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation and My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

Ken explained: “I’d been wanting to do something for Chest, Heart and Stroke for a while. It was a stroke that killed my father and I’ve been wanting to do something on his behalf for a long time so it felt right.

“Having had examinations in the past, I’m all too aware that Prostate Scotland need to raise awareness. I played rugby for a long time, longer than most people, 30 years. I was very lucky to be largely injury free and I want to put something into the pot of the Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation for those who are not as fortunate.

“Doddie inspired us all and there has been some fantastic people who’ve raised funds for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation – I wanted to do my bit too.”

The route will see him start in the Scottish Borders, into Dumfries and Galloway, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, the Highlands, Aberdeen, Perth & Kinross, Dundee, Fife, Stirling, Edinburgh, East Lothian, Berwickshire and finish back in the Scottish Borders.

On the fourth day Ken will have his longest cycle in one day from Lanark to Ardrossan (with a stop at Ayr) which will be 71.3 miles. His seventh day of cycling will give him his shortest distance of 38.6 miles when he cycles between Hamilton, Dalziel, Waysiders/Drumpellier, Glasgow Accies, GHK, Hillhead Jordanhill, Bearsden and West of Scotland.  

Ken will not be alone in his challenge – his son Richard whom he played alongside at North Berwick will join him for some of his rides alongside fellow retrospective cap recipients Stewart MacAslan, Grant Wilson, Johnny Robertson and Mark Moncrieff. 

He said: “At the start and at the finish I will have Finlay Calder with me, he’s been very good at bullying other people into joining me! The last day Gary Armstrong will be with me and my son will do the first couple of days too.” 

Scotland Internationalists and British and Irish Lions players Calder and Armstrong, Derek White and Iwan Tukalo will also join him along with those from the club game; Ian Rankin (Dundee), Robert Ritchie, Danny Waldman (North Berwick), Iain Duckworth (Heriot’s), George Runciman (Melrose) and current Scottish Rugby Union Vice President Keith Wallace (Haddington). He said: “Everyone who is cycling with me is much fitter than me and will have done more training than me!” 

Ken’s cycling challenge will leave Netherdale, Gala on Saturday 5 October and return to the same ground on Saturday 26 October. You can donate to Ken’s fundraising efforts HERE.

CAP 1215 Cycle Route:
Day 1
Saturday 5 October
Gala, Selkirk, Hawick, Hawick Linden, Langholm
Daily Mileage: 41.1  

Day 2  
Sunday 6 October
Langholm, Annan, Dumfries, Moffat
Daily Mileage: 61.8 

Day 3 
Monday 7 October
Moffat, Walkerburn, Peebles, Lanark
Daily Mileage: 67.4 

Day 4
Tuesday 8 October
Lanark, Ayr, Ardrossan
Daily Mileage: 71.3

Day 5  
Wednesday 9 October
Adrossan, Kilmarnock, Paisley, Cartha Queens Park, Cambuslang, Uddingston, Hamilton
Daily Mileage: 62.1

Day 6  
REST

Day 7
Friday 11 October
Hamilton, Dalziel, Waysiders/Drumpellier, Glasgow Accies, GHK, Hillhead Jordanhill, Bearsden, West of Scotland
Daily Mileage: 38.6

Day 8
Saturday 12 October
West of Scotland to Crianlarich stop over
Daily Mileage: 48.2

Day 9
Sunday 13 October
Crainlarich stop over to Lochaber
Daily Mileage: 54.3

Day 10 
Monday 14 October
Lochaber, Highland
Daily Mileage: 64  

Day 11
REST  

Day 12 
Wednesday 16 October
Highland, Fochabers stop over
Daily Mileage: 49.7

Day 13  
Thursday 17 October
Fochabers stop over, Gordonians, Aberdeen Grammar
Daily Mileage: 60.6  

Day 14
Friday 18 October
Aberdeen Grammar, Strathmore
Daily Mileage: 53 

Day 15
Saturday 19 October
Strathmore, Dundee, Harris Academy, Madrass Coll FP, Howe of Fife
Daily Mileage: 41.7  

Day 16  
REST  

Day 17  
Monday 21 October
Howe of Fife, Rosyth & District RFC, Dunfermiline, Hillfoots, Alloa, Stirling County
Daily Mileage: 63.8

Day 18  
Tuesday 22 October
Stirling County, Livingston, Currie, Forrester, Corstorphine, Royal High, Murrayfield, Boroughmuir, Watsonians, Edinburgh Accies, L & B Police RFC, Edinburgh Northern, Stewarts Melville, Inverleith, Broughton, Heriot’s
Daily Mileage: 70.3

Day 19  
Wednesday 23 October
Heriot’s, Trinity, Leith Accies, Portobello, Edinburgh Uni, Lasswade, Penicuik, Dalkeith, Musselburgh, Preston Lodge, Ross High, Haddington, North Berwick
Daily Mileage: 60.3

Day 20  
Friday 25 October
North Berwick, Dunbar, Berwick
Daily Mileage: 45 

Day 21
Saturday 26 October
Berwick, Duns, Kelso, Jedforest, St. Boswells RFC, Earlston, Melrose, Gala YM
Daily Mileage: 68.7  

Total Mileage: 1022.2 miles