Assembly Rugby team ‘will be thinking of Steffan Lewis’ as they prepare to face Westminster

Assembly Member Steffan Lewis will be ‘in the thoughts’ of the National Assembly Rugby team as they play Westminster in a match to raise money for a cancer charity.

Plaid Cymru AM Steffan Lewis, 33, revealed in December that he has an advanced form of cancer.

The twelfth annual charity rugby match between the National Assembly for Wales RFC and the Commons and Lords RUFC will take place tomorrow at 12:00 at Rosslyn Park FC Rugby Club, Priory Lane, London, SW15 5JH.

Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth AM and The Conservatives’ Andrew RT Davies are among those set to play for The National Assembly of Wales’ team, with the rest of the side being made up of National Assembly staff and Welsh Government officials.

“The Natwest Six Nations got off to a fantastically exciting start last weekend, and I know I speak for the entire Assembly team when I say we’re massively looking forward to the trip to London for our annual clash with Commons and Lords RUFC,” Rhun ap Iorwerthy said.

“These fixtures have always demonstrated the true essence of the great game of rugby union, and we look forward to being a part of this superb occasion once more, as well as raising funds to support the vastly important battle against Bowel Cancer.

“This has long been our chosen charity. The team was set up as a fundraising venture after Glyn Davies – formerly an Assembly Member, now a Member of Parliament – overcame bowel cancer.

“Now, as we play in London this weekend, another AM – Steffan Lewis – is fighting the disease, which just goes to show that any one of us could find ourselves needing the support offered by charities like this at any point in our lives.

“We’ll be thinking of Steff and wishing him well, as we have done and will continue to do throughout his battle with this disease, this Saturday.”

The annual match is played prior to Wales’ visit to Twickenham to face England in the Natwest Six Nations. The game will be split into four 15-minute quarters, the first of which will be ‘touch rugby’ to allow those who don’t want to play ‘full contact’ rugby to take part.

Diagnosis

Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer have joined together to stop bowel cancer, and the Assembly Rugby team will once again be raising funds towards the charity.

Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer aim to save lives, improve the quality of life and support all those affected by bowel cancer in the UK.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Wales. Every year 2,200 people are diagnosed and over 900 people die from the disease, making bowel cancer the second biggest cancer killer.

Early diagnosis is crucial because the chance of surviving the disease is closely linked to the stage of cancer.

Lowri Griffiths, Head of Wales at Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer, sad: “We are delighted the Assembly v Westminster Charity Rugby Match is supporting the charity, it’s a great event! The money raised and donated will fund the highest quality research and essential information and support services that will save lives from bowel cancer.”

You can donate to Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer and help the fight to beat this disease via the donate page on their official website: bowelcancer.org.uk/donate