Ex-Scottish rugby international Ken Macaulay set to end 1,020-mile nationwide cycle ride for charity in Gala

Fundraiser Ken Macaulay at Selkirk on the first day of his 1,020-mile charity cycle ride, Saturday, October 5 (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)Fundraiser Ken Macaulay at Selkirk on the first day of his 1,020-mile charity cycle ride, Saturday, October 5 (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)
Fundraiser Ken Macaulay at Selkirk on the first day of his 1,020-mile charity cycle ride, Saturday, October 5 (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)
​Ex-Scottish rugby international Ken Macaulay is returning to Galashiels this coming Saturday to conclude a 1,020-mile nationwide cycle ride for charity he started there just short of three weeks ago.

His old club Gala are at home at Netherdale to Stirling County in Arnold Clark National League Division 1, with kick-off at 3pm, that day so the 67-year-old is hoping for a good show of support from fans as he wraps up his tour of all 76 Scottish rugby clubs he played at as a lock for the Maroons, North Berwick and Edinburgh’s Heriot’s in his younger days.

His nationwide ride – launched at Netherdale on Saturday, October 5, as part of a 41-mile first leg with stop-offs at Selkirk, Hawick and Langholm – is a fundraiser for Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland, Prostate Scotland, Murrayfield Injured Players’ Foundation and My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

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That charity challenge – also including visits to Walkerburn and Peebles on Monday, October 7 – was prompted by talking to fellow former players at a retrospective capping ceremony at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium in February.

He was among 26 recipients of belated caps that day – along with Chirnside's Richie Dixon, Melrose’s Rob Moffat, Peebles’ Steve Ferguson, Jed-Forest’s Ronnie Kirkpatrick and George Turnbull and Gala’s Mark Moncrieff, George Telfer and Gary Isaac – and 75 all told.

Macaulay, now living on Great Bernera in the Outer Hebrides, was awarded his cap for featuring in a Scotland XV against a French representative side in Bordeaux in April 1980, making him the 1,215th player to be capped for Scotland, and marking that honour, he set himself a target of raising £1,215, later upped to £4,860, though he’s already past the £7,000 mark.

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Explaining his choice of charities, he said: “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.

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“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.”

Macaulay has been accompanied by numerous fellow ex-internationals along the way, including Moncrieff and Selkirk’s Gordon Hunter and Iwan Tukalo, and Jed-Forest’s Gary Armstrong is planning to get in the saddle alongside him on Saturday.

He will start the last of his 18 days on the road in Berwick, heading on to Duns, Kelso, Jedburgh, St Boswells, Earlston and Melrose on his 69-mile journey to Gala.

Earlston are also at home on Saturday, to Duns in East 3, as are Jed-Forest, to Glasgow Academicals in National 1, both 3pm kick-offs.

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