EPCR announces support of the Maxwell Family Genomics Fund for 30th season Finals as Craig Maxwell confirms new challenge

Craig Maxwell and his family deliver the match ball during the Six Nations after completing his Wales Coastal Path Challenge in 2024.

EPCR - the organisers of rugby’s greatest club rugby tournament the Investec Champions Cup - is delighted to announce a special collaboration with Craig Maxwell and the Maxwell Family Genomics Fund for the 30th season Finals. This partnership supports the inspiring Maxwell Family Fund Coastal Row Challenge.

Scheduled for May 2025, the challenge involves an extraordinary 72-mile rowing journey from Tenby to Cardiff, culminating at the iconic Principality Stadium just before the kick-off of the Investec Champions Cup Final. The ambitious goal is to raise £250 000 for vital cancer research.

Affectionately dubbed the "TenCar," the event pays tribute to Maxwell’s earlier fundraising challenge – the "CarTen," a 100-mile cycle from Cardiff to Tenby – which he undertook following his stage 4 EGFR lung and bone cancer diagnosis in 2022. Now, Maxwell aims to reverse the route and conquer the distance by sea, rowing along the stunning Welsh coast.

The adventure kicks off on Monday 19 May at Pembroke Dock Harlequins rugby club, where Maxwell’s rugby journey began. From there, the team will cycle to Tenby, before launching into the open waters, rowing toward Cardiff. The challenge will culminate in the presentation of the match ball for the 30th Investec Champions Cup Final, which kicks off at the Principality Stadium at 2.45pm on Saturday 24 May. A symbolic venue – both at the heart of Welsh rugby and next door to the venue that hosted the tournament’s inaugural final three decades ago – it is a fitting destination to finish the epic challenge as the stadium where Maxwell worked for over 15 years and where he met his beloved wife, Tracey.

Joining him on this five-day challenge are different rowers each day, rowing over 17 nautical miles each day to reach Cardiff in time for the Final – a match that sees Northampton Saints in their third Final against Union Bordeaux-Bègles in their maiden Final.

Due to Maxwell’s ongoing three-week chemotherapy cycles, his ability to row six hours daily will be a formidable challenge. To ensure the journey is completed, Rhys Williams, former Wales international, has pledged to row every day alongside him, stepping in when needed to keep the challenge alive. They’ll also be joined by a host of familiar faces, including former Wales star Lee Byrne, Love Island’s Liam Reardon, The One Show’s Gethin Jones and other well-known personalities.

In a heartwarming gesture, the team will arrive at Principality Stadium on the morning of the Final, handing the match ball to a current patient at Velindre Cancer Services who will take it into it to the stadium, just as Craig and his family did one year ago during the 2024 Six Nations. This incredible experience will now be shared with another patient and their loved ones.

The Route

19 May – The Investec Champions Cup Finals match ball will begin its journey from Pembroke Dock Harlequins – Maxwell’s first club to Tenby, with five people cycling with the ball.

20 May – Row leg 1. Tenby to Burry Port – approx. 19 NM.

21 May – Row leg 2. Burry Port to Swansea – approx. 18 NM.

22 May – Row leg 3. Swansea to Porthcawl – approx. 15 NM.

23 May – Row leg 4. Porthcawl to Barry – approx. 18 NM.

24 May – Row leg 5. Barry to the Principality Stadium.

Through this latest monumental challenge, Maxwell aims to raise an additional £250 000 for QuicDNA Max, supporting expansion into other various tumour types over the next three years.

This funding builds upon the £1.6-million already raised by the Maxwell family, following their £400 000 contribution in 2023. Thanks to their incredible efforts, QuicDNA’s liquid biopsy technology is now affecting lives across Wales through early lung cancer detection. With QuicDNA Max, Craig hopes to expand this possibly life-saving innovation to multiple cancer types, improving patient outcomes.

At just 40 years old, Maxwell received life-changing news: he was diagnosed with a rare genetic form of lung cancer, which had also spread to his bones. His diagnosis was Stage 4, inoperable and incurable, forever altering the lives of Craig, his wife Tracey and their two children, Isla and Zach.

But rather than letting this diagnosis define their remaining time, Craig and Tracey made a profound choice: to focus their energy on creating change, raising vital funds to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment pathways in Wales.

Maxwell’s journey continues the legacy of his Wales Coastal Path Challenge in 2024, where he was met with overwhelming support from individuals across Wales who walked beside him, including EPCR Chairman Dominic McKay, welcomed his family through the streets of Cardiff, and donated generously.

This time, while no rowing experience is required to support the cause, your help is needed more than ever!

Here’s how you can make an impact:

• Spread the word: Share Craig’s story on social media and within your community.

• Donate: Every contribution, big or small, helps advance cancer research.

• Host a fundraiser: Rally friends, family, and colleagues for a fundraising event during the challenge dates.

• Become an event sponsor – contact Kylie.McKee@wales.nhs.uk

Join Maxwell in rowing towards a future with earlier cancer detection, improved treatments and hope for countless families.

For more information or to donate, visit https://velindre-campaignhub.blackbaud-sites.com/maxwell-family-fund/.