Rugby - the Matt Elliott Memorial Cup!

“I have enjoyed P.E. this year and improved my rugby skills. I think I could improve at rugby but I don’t really like it.”
Matt Elliott, School Report, Nailsea School, aged 13.


The Matt Elliott Memorial Cup 2011 takes place on Saturday 14th May - a chance to watch some first class sporting brilliance, muddy your boots on the pitch, meet friends old and new and spend a moment or two remembering our boy - oh and did I mention the bar? 


HACKNEY RFC…
Matt regularly played for the 2nd XV (the Gargoyles) at Hackney RFC. In his memory, the club is about to play the Second Memorial Cup at the end of their 2011 season. Like last year, it will be between a mixture of their 1st XV (the Griffins) and 2nd XV (the Gargoyles) plus as many of Matt's friends who'd like to come along and share this day with us. The inaugural event in May 2010 was a fantastic day out and we were amazed and touched at how many friends came along, both to play and support from the sidelines. It is so special that he is remembered so fondly and in this way. 


THE MATT ELLIOTT CUP 2011...
Hackney RFC will run the 10-a-side tournament, kicking off at 1pm on Saturday 14th May. Players should aim to arrive at the Spring Hill Sports Ground (Hackney, London, E5 9BL - click here for a map), for 12pm so we can allocate teams and get as many people playing as possible. Each team will be have a minimum of two matches with the final two teams playing in an extended grande finale. Most importantly, the new ladies team will be opening the day with a single round of 7’s, so make sure you're there on time!
 
GET INVOLVED...
If you'd like to play, please drop Rick Elliott a quick line (rickelliott@tiscali.co.uk) ASAP to help us get an idea of numbers. That said, anyone who turns up and wants to play will be assured of a place in a team, regardless of experience - if you want to play and you've got your kit, you're in! 


WHY NOW?
With the second anniversary of Matt's fall coming up on the 18th May, this annual fixture acts as a focus for us all - Matt’s friends, family and colleagues - to remember him in a bright and sporting situation that suitably reflects his personality. Again we would like to express our gratitude to Hackney RFC for their out-standing generosity and thoughtfulness. Matt would have been so proud.
Sue, Rick and Sarah will look forward to seeing you there! The winning team will be presented with the Matt Elliott Cup before we adjourn to the Marina Bar for ales, food and a general chat. The game will be used as a charity fundraiser, supporting Matt’s chosen charities. There will be an evening buffet at the Marina but you are welcome to bring a picnic and refreshments for the afternoon to keep yourselves fuelled up for the fun and games. Children and pets welcome - we would love to see you there!

Challenges of all shapes and sizes...

Do you remember the wonderful project we set up on the night of Matt's funeral, which we called Doing an Elliott. Matt left us with amazing memories of his energy, inspiration and a more than a faint whiff of adventure... It was the combined work of those happy memories, the tributes of dozens of his finest friends and probably far too many glasses of red wine, but that little spark has germinated into some truly incredible ideas...

Doing an Elliott is essentially about making the most of that time off. It's about being proud of the life you lead and making sure you have a legacy that you would be happy to leave behind. It is about doing something scary, something challenging, perhaps something generous? It's about asking when you last left your comfort zone far, far behind and pushed a few boundaries? What was the last thing that made you feel really... ALIVE!!!

Well, we'd like to tell you about four exciting developments from the Doing an Elliott camp for 2011...

Get your motor running...

Perhaps you watched the marathon this weekend and thought 'Yeah? I should do that next year!' Well, our own high energy athlete Nick Peters did exactly that a few months ago when he signed up for an incredible adventure challenge in Matt's name. Heralded as one of the most difficult endurance races in the World, Nick spent last week running the Marathon des Sables - a 250km race across the Sahara spread across a sweltering six days. It was a truly amazing effort: he finished 377 out of 938 participants and raised over 4,500 pounds for Kids Co. He told us how it felt:

"It was an adventure like nothing I have ever experienced! The MDS is not a "race" in the normal sense of the word. It is a severe physical and mental test. You visit some very very dark places, and I think get to know the real you. You will have big highs and severe lows. The conditions are severe and everything all together make it what it is. Am I glad I did it, of course I am! Would I recommend it, for sure! And I would support anyone 100% throughout - it is worth it!"

Sporting success...

Once a year, Matt's friends and family congregate in Hackney for an afternoon of rugby and a few ales in Matt's memory. The event is organised and run by Matt's old rugby club Hackney RFC, and participation is positively encouraged. It is a knock-out tournament open to all (irrespective of age, ability or fitness) - come along and get involved! Whether you are a sprightly scrumhalf, an overindulged 'would-be' or a classic has-been, or indeed an enthusiastic cheerleader and supporter, please join us for a sociable afternoon in the sunshine*. For more details click on timing etc click here. There will be a prestigious awards ceremony and an opportunity to drink, eat and chew the fat after the exertions of the afternoon at the Marina Bar, a family-friendly location close to the rugby (6pm to 8pm-ish). We would be delighted if you could join us for this to round off the day's sporting events!
(*sunshine subject to availability).


Matt's March...
On the 15th May, Sarah and Rick will be setting off on an 48-day trek across the Pyrenees which they have imaginatively called Matt's March. This blog will bring you coverage of the adventure - please explore the site to find out more about our big challenge. We are launching our challenge on the night of the 14th May, so do join us if you can for some sporting fun at the rugby and afterwards for a few ales to send us off in style.


Tackling your demons...
Back at Doing an Elliott base camp, the Elliott's have been working on a few projects of their own. We started by tackling one of the challenges laid down on the night of Matt's funeral. Last year, Sarah attempted to tackle her needle-phobia by giving blood. Sadly they told her that she'd been to far too many mysterious and malarial places, but could she come back in 2011. Sweating it out for six months gave her the chance to recruit a few friends for moral support and, in total, seven of us gave blood last Wednesday. Our amazing cousin Tom and his gorgeous fiancee Lucie have even asked their wedding guests to give blood as a matrimonial gift... here are a few images from the day:

Matt's March...

Matt's March is a 48-day walk in memory of a wonderful man, a walk that he had planned to do himself. Sarah and Rick will be setting off on Sunday the 15th May to traverse the French mountain chain, sending back snippets of scenery and trail tales to our faithful communications centre and expedition support hub in Harrogate. From here, Sue will be updating this very blog and keeping you all posted on our progress. If you'd like to receive a quick email when something new is posted, please send us a message (see below). You can also use this service to leave us messages of encouragement or abuse, but mainly we'd just like you to enjoy the ride! And perhaps it will spur you into Doing an Elliott this summer...

What we're trying to say is that it's terribly easy to put things off when you are busy, isn't it? There are always deadlines to meet at work, dinners to prepare, doctors appointments, dogs that need walking, documentaries on TV that your boss would expect you to watch... all this using just the letter 'd'! By the time you get through the other 25 letters of the alphabet you'll be exhausted and probably need to go and lie down.

We totally understand that - so all you need to do right now is bookmark this blog and let us bring "Doing an Elliott" to you. Come along on our journey this summer as we wander across the Pyrenees and let us inspire you to push your comfort zones, feel the fresh air on your cheeks and perhaps try something new...

Maybe it's time to address something that's been niggling you for years - like not writing to your grannie enough, digging out that old bike from the garage and getting fit, buying a big issue from the homeless guy that you pass every day, or investing some time in that slightly awkward friend who could use a bit of support this year. You don't have to save orphans in Africa to make a difference in this world (although that helps too - and that's exactly what Sue is doing later this summer... more on that soon!).

There are so many ways to Do an Elliott - what's yours?