Let battle commence!

Monmouth Raft Race will be a battle between the Welsh and the English this year, at least for the HCR teams taking part.

Both the Cardiff and the Wye Valley offices are entering teams into the race this Sunday (5 Sept), and they’re getting ready for the 6.5-mile course starting at noon from Monmouth rowing club down to Whitebrook, much of that effort in aid of St David’s Hospice Care in Newport.

This is the 55th time the race, run by Monmouth Rotary Club, has been held, and HCR both sponsor and take part in it regularly, with expertise in raft-building now firmly established.

This year, the Cardiff team (Andrea Thomas, Bryn Thomas (captain), Corinne Sri-Widada, Daniel Barnard, David King, Delyth Murphy, Matthew Loader and Robin Koolhoven ) has more rowers than the Wye Valley team.

But the rowers from Ross, captained by Arpinder Dhillon from a firm footing on land (Jenny Staples, Rebecca Welton, Louise Price, Clare Day, with reserves Ann Morgan, Cami Apperly, and Sasha Nelson), have the advantage of a raft which has stood the test of time.

The really important issue is that two teams can raise twice the amount of money; please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hcrwvandcardiff and donate to support the hospice’s work.