Penrith Pumas to take part in fundraiser ahead of Premiership season

Penrith Pumas Wheelchair Rugby Club (WRC) are set to take on the fundraiser at Penrith Leisure Centre on Tuesday, March 3.

The fundraiser will see members push between 5km, or 208 lengths of the leisure centre , and 10km, or 416 lengths, in their wheelchairs.

This fundraising challenge has been organised to help the club raise vital funds that will help cover equipment and other costs ahead of the start of their Premiership season in April.

This comes after the Pumas were promoted to the top division on a dramatic final day of their Championship season on August 2025.

Sarah Burrows is a player for the Penrith Pumas and explained more about how the idea for the fundraiser came to life.

"We were coming up with ways to get a new income stream after we were promoted up to the Premiership at the end of the 2025 season," she said, speaking to the News & Star.

"Disability sport can quite expensive. Just for two wheel guards you are looking at anywhere between £350 to £500.

"As a club we like to cover as much as we can for the players as people with disabilities work full-time, some work part-time, and some can't work at all.

"We try and make sure wherever we can that we cover the cost of equipment and hotel stays for the tournaments as they are all down south.

"We put in for sponsorships from businesses all the time but I thought it would be nice for us to do something as a team to raise money ourselves."

To date, the Pumas have already raised £520 through their GoFundMe page.

For Sarah, the challenge is also a way to showcase and safegusard the club's vibrant community.

She said: "We always say that we are a team on and off the court.

"If one of our players can't come to training because of an injury or an operation, we will all rally around them.

"The experience of being in this community is like nothing any of us have had before.

"It is a very unique group of people and we have all got varying conditions and disabilities but on the court and in our training sessions and we are all equal.

"This fundraiser is going to be difficult but we will all be behind each other."