TAVISTOCK Rugby Club is to host the first stage of a major national fundraising event this summer.

Rugby World Cup winner Phil Vickery MBE will be one of the visitors arriving at the club on July 5, as the new ambassador for the Wooden Spoon charity's Great British Bike Ride (GBBR), from Land's End to Twickenham.

Phil, a Cornishman and son of a dairy farmer, said: 'I look forward to the blood. sweat and gears of this wonderful sporting challenge. I am sure I will make new friends and hope to raise a good deal of cash for some excellent and deserving charities.'

Last September, more than 150 riders accepted the challenge to cycle 330-miles from Land's End to Twickenham Stadium and raised an incredible £102,000 for supported charities.

They stopped for the first night at Tavistock Rugby Club and the visit was such a success, the Sandy Park ground will once again be the first staging point for this year's riders.

Nigel Larcombe-Williams, chairman of TRFC, said: 'The reason they are bothering to come all the way to us is because last year, our hospitality was second to none.

'We are really thrilled to have them come back to us — this will build on last year's successful event, which is amazing.

'Basically we will be looking after them, we will have a tented village supplied by the army, we feed them properly, they rest up, and have a very early breakfast, supplied by us, before they set off on the road again.'

Last year, the star player on the bike ride was world cup winner Richard Hill, who took part in some training sessions with junior rugby players at Tavistock.

Nigel said: 'Phil Vickery will be just as well looked after, and we shall be organising some rugby-based activities for the youngsters on the day.

'The event does create quite a lot of interest in the cycling world, and anyone who wants to will be able to follow them up from the town up to the club when they arrive.'

The bike ride will take place from July 5 to July 9 when the riders are welcomed at Twickenham Stadium to the applause and appreciation of thousands of rugby fans during the Vauxhall Middlesex Charity 7s. 

This year the primary benefitting charities will be Wooden Spoon, Help for Heroes, The RPA Benevolent Fund, the RFU Injured Players Foundation and the Rainbow Trust. 

Event organiser, Barry Clayton, said: 'Last year in our first event we thought £30,000 was an ambitious target to raise for charity, but that was monumentally eclipsed with the total climbing to a staggering £102,000 – I was absolutely amazed and delighted.

'Hopefully with Phil on board and our new title sponsors TNT we can do even better this year.'

The TNT GBBR has also managed to talk broadcaster John Inverdale — Wooden Spoon Surrey Honorary President — into the saddle as an event ambassador for 2011.

John said: 'I'm delighted to be involved with this tremendous initiative to raise much needed funds; it's a privilege for me to assist with the event and to support such worthwhile causes.'

The demanding route takes in some of the most spectacular natural scenery to be found in the West Country, including Dartmoor's rolling hills — it also includes part of the 2012 Olympic course.

Anyone who would like to join this charity challenge should go to http://www.greatbritishbikeride.com">www.greatbritishbikeride.com