4 Year-Old Charlie’s Challenge

27 April 2021

Charlie Mackenzie, aged 4, is running at least half a mile each day as part of Ross Sutherland Rugby Club’s March into May fundraiser, supporting My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and Ross Sutherland’s new clubhouse initiative.

Charlie was inspired to take on the challenge by his love of rugby and “the biggest man I know”, Doddie Weir.

Based in the North of Scotland, Charlie has brilliantly already raised over £1500, five times his initial goal.

Charlie, great nephew of the former Scotland prop, Gregor Mackenzie – who started at Ross Sutherland before moving on to Highland and Selkirk, was capped against Australia in 1984 and now farms in New Zealand’s South Island – came up with the idea himself.

“He said he wanted to do it and that he was going to run to the middle gates half-way up the farm road each day before nursery,” his mum Leigh told scottishrugby.org.

“He wanted to do it for the rugby club and for Doddie who he says is ‘the biggest man I know’. He keeps shouting to Alexa to play the Do’ in it for Doddie song, so we’ll get that to number one in the downloads chart from our house alone!

“Charlie can’t start playing rugby until he’s five. But he’s got it all mapped out. He’s going to play at Ross Sutherland until he’s 17 and then he’s going to play for Scotland!

“His granny has had him obsessed with rugby. His dad, Pete, and my father-in-law and brother-in-law have all played at Ross Sutherland, then there is his great uncle, Gregor. The last few years, the club has changed from just being a rugby club to really getting out into the community and schools and the new clubhouse is going to be fantastic for the entire area,” Leigh explained.”

A huge thank you to Charlie for his wonderful efforts. If you’d like to support him, you can do so via his JustGiving page.