Sidmouth RFC Juniors were honoured this week to be asked by Channel 4 to be the backdrop for their Rugby show The Big Tackle. With Ed Jackson and Benjamin Kayser presenting the show.  

Ed Jackson is an English former professional rugby union player who played for a number of sides in England and Wales as a Number 8, In April 2017, Jackson suffered a spinal injury, a fractured C6/C7 joint dislocation, after diving into the shallow end of a swimming pool. Despite the severeness of the injury, Jackson is currently made  an amazing  recovery, though he has been told that he will not play rugby professionally again. But  he has still manage to shock doctors with him even climbing mountains

Benjamin Kayser is a former French Rugby Union player. He most recently played at hooker for Clermont Auvergne in the French Top 14

They spent the day with us on Sunday, filming all day whilst using the age groups as a backdrop showing Sidmouth Juniors in their full glory of returning to rugby in covid safe manner with smiling and laughing kids, something we have missed seeing for a long while. 

"On behalf of everyone at Sunset & Vine Cymru, Channel 4, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Sidmouth RFC for an incredibly warm welcome today. Gari and the team could not speak highly enough of the way they were received by everyone at the club.”

Ed and Benjamin throughly enjoyed seeing all our players  and were very impressed with Sidmouth RFC . They felt it was so positive to see grass roots rugby back up and running and so many boys and girls out there back on the pitch.

It is great to have Rugby back  and can see the kids thriving being back on the pitch. The season is extended this season so are  even looking a few fixtures before the end of May.