Ride for 1974 plane crash rugby team raises £200k

The cyclists took part in a sponsored bike ride over six days starting from just outside Paris

A group of cyclists have completed a 390-mile (628km) fundraising challenge in memory of a rugby team that died in a plane crash 50 years ago.

Eighteen members of Bury St Edmunds rugby club were killed when a Turkish Airlines flight crashed in Ermenonville, just outside of Paris, on 3 March 1974.

Austin Cornish, whose own father Laurie was among those who died, helped organise a six-day ride that saw 60 people pedal from Paris to Suffolk.

"The whole experience was totally amazing," he said. The group raised more than £200,000, which will go towards building an all-weather rugby pitch and a donation for charity.

Eighteen members of Bury St Edmunds rugby club, including players, supporters and officials, died in the 1974 plane crash

Family members of those who were killed were pictured in front of a memorial stone at the club

Fifty years ago, members of the club were returning home after watching a France v England rugby international in Paris when the plane went down, killing 346 people on board.

Mr Cornish, who was three years old when his father died, took part in the commemorative ride.

"We had some pretty awful weather, we had some long days on the saddle and day three was 97 miles (156km)," he said.

"It was six days of tough cycling. Unfortunately they managed to put us through cobbled streets - not very pleasant when you're on a bike."

The cyclists also rode against 35mph (56km/h) wind and rain.

Those taking part cycled long distances each day to complete the challenge

They all arrived back at Bury St Edmunds on Sunday with a police escort, and were greeted by hundreds of friends and family members of those who had died.

Mr Cornish said the experience had produced "memories for life".

"It's just an amazing adventure - we did it for them, and I look on at it as a bit of a return journey that they didn't have, so very special."