Back to the mud | Rugby legends take on our off-road challenge
Four rugby legends. Three off-road driving challenges. One very powerful vehicle... What could possibly go wrong?
Few things bring out the inner child like a bit of off-roading. The mud, the deep water, the steep inclines and the sketchy obstacles – they have you doubting, daring and enjoying yourself all at once. But what about when you replace ‘normal’ people with former international rugby players? We’re talking about seasoned athletes, who have learned to deal with pressure and the unexpected over many years. Well, recently we found out...
Back in January, we invited four former Leicester Tigers teammates – the old guard of Welford Road – revered and regarded across the country as stalwarts of Premiership rugby, for a day of off-road driving challenges a stone’s throw from Schöffel Country HQ. Apparently, sportsmen never lose their competitive edge. That much was clear from the moment we split them into their pairs...
Our challengers
A flanker for Tigers from 2005 to 2017, Tom Croft rose through the ranks of the Leicester academy before playing in 173 Premiership games during an illustrious career. Along the way, he earned 40 England caps and represented the British and Irish Lions on two tours. A natural sportsman, in his spare time away from his role as land manager for Davidsons Homes, he enjoys game shooting and deer stalking.
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Tom Youngs left very few boxes unticked as a professional, too, representing Leicester 215 times, picking up 28 caps for England, and earning a spot in the British and Irish Lions Team. His 2012/13 season culminated in being named the Aviva Premiership Player of the Year. His second passion, though, has always been farming, and since his retirement in 2022, he has become the fourth generation of his family to work full-time on the farm in Norfolk.
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Winning eight Premiership titles with Leicester Tigers, Irish full-back Geordan is the most decorated player in the top tier of the sport, making 322 appearances between 1997 and 2013, scoring 93 tries and 691 points. He is still Leicester’s leading try-scorer in the European Cup. Since retiring, he has moved into coaching and managerial roles and now dedicates more of his time to charitable work with the likes of The Matt Hampson Foundation.
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Six-time Premiership and double European Cup winner Louis Deacon made 274 appearances for Leicester, retiring in 2015. Playing at lock, Louis was capped 29 times for England and was involved in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In recent years his attention has turned to coaching; he has been involved with the England men’s U20s team, Leicester Tigers, and currently coaches England’s women’s rugby team – the Red Roses.
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On a course designed to punish overconfidence, we tasked the chaps with three challenges that we knew would test finesse, grit, precision, and teamwork. But first, we’d introduce them to their steed: the 626-horsepower Defender OCTA... Yep – we forgot to mention that. What could possibly go wrong?
First up: The Dead-Stop Challenge. And it’s every bit as awkward as it sounds. The aim? To climb a steep, muddy ascent, without touching the brakes, before bringing the Defender to rest on the hill’s crest on the first attempt — as close as possible to perfectly level: zero degrees.
Go too far, and you’re tipping forward. Too cautious, and you’ve bottled it. The team closest to level wins the point. It’s the perfect warm-up...
Next: The Don’t Spill It Challenge. A true test of finesse and composure. There are two containers of liquid: one is suction-cupped to the bonnet, the other is in the passenger’s lap. The aim? Drive a section of off-road course which sees multiple wheels leave the ground simultaneously, without spilling it everywhere.
Gentle throttle, delicate steering, and precision are the key here. The team with the most liquid left at the end wins.
The biggie. The final. And quite possibly the decider. The Blindside Navigation Challenge requires clear direction, trust, and courage. One player drives the Defender, blindfolded. The other must guide them through the course, collecting two flags along the way. There are hills, corners, and unnerving descents. Each team is timed. Miss a flag and it’s over. Say the wrong thing and you’re off the course, in no-man’s land. It’s a measure of teamwork and discipline. Fastest lap wins...
The winners? Well, only the full video can show you that. Perhaps you’ll judge it differently; maybe you’ll call out the refereeing as unfair or absent. We’ll leave you to it…
Watch the full video on YouTube.