Rugby players at Sandbach Rugby Club have completed an extraordinary endurance challenge by staging 28-hour men’s and women’s rugby sevens matches, setting provisional World Records for the longest matches ever played in their respective categories. The historic event, titled 24/7s, was organized to raise funds and awareness for the rugby mental health charity LooseHeadz.
The men’s match surpassed the existing World Records benchmark of 24 hours and 30 minutes, which was set in 2017, while the women’s match established a new category, as no previous record existed. Both achievements are now awaiting official verification.
The marathon event began around midday on Friday and concluded at 4:00 p.m. BST on Saturday, with players rotating through multi-hour shifts to sustain the action over the full 28-hour duration. The remarkable feat tested the athletes’ endurance, teamwork, and determination while captivating supporters throughout the challenge.
Beyond the record attempt, the initiative successfully raised more than £68,000 for LooseHeadz, a charity dedicated to improving mental health and well-being within the rugby community. Reflecting on the achievement, Sandbach Rugby Club player Rob Smith-Owen described the experience as “incredible, hard, tough, emotional, crazy, and phenomenal,” highlighting the spirit of resilience and camaraderie that defined the event.
