ANYONE who would trek to the North Pole, play rugby against former England players or attempt to break a world record would be admirable.

But in April one Oxfordshire man will be attempting all three.

Stephen Henry, who grew up in Carterton before his family moved to Bicester, is tackling the Arctic Rugby challenge to raise funds for children’s rugby charity Wooden Spoon.

The three-week challenge will see a squad of rugby fans trek 100 miles to the North Pole before staging a world record bid seven-a-side rugby match at the top of the world.

Mr Henry, 32, said: “I think it is the extreme bit that appealed to me, I really wanted to test myself and put myself in difficult conditions and see what can be achieved.

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“The feeling you’ll get when you finish is something that can’t be explained, it is just amazing to know not many people will have done this.”

The teams will be led by former Rugby Union internationals Tim Stimpson and Ollie Phillips with ex-England and British Lions player Lee Mears refereeing the match.

Mr Henry, who has played rugby since he was 12, said: “It has been great meeting the people I looked up to when I was younger. They are new to the Arctic side as well and they are really down to earth.

“Once you get over the fact they used to play for England, they are really nice and are becoming friends.”

Rugby stars are not the only famous faces showing their support. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, attended a launch ceremony on February 17, and met the people taking part.

Mr Henry said: “It was really nice to get a personal message of support from Her Royal Highness and it is a boost to everyone heading to the Arctic.

“She told me I must be crazy.”

He has been training with the squad and learning how to survive Arctic conditions, including temperatures of -30C.

He said: “We have had special sessions to learn all we need to survive the harsh conditions we’ll face. I am not too concerned about the trekking side, but it is a little bit worrying being so far from help. We’ll essentially be relying on a flimsy tent for shelter and if anything goes wrong it’s a very harsh environment to be in.”

So far Mr Henry has raised about £14,000 of his £25,000 target for the charity, which funds rugby projects for disadvantaged and disabled children.

He said: “I hope that by taking on this extreme challenge I’ll inspire people to back me and help reach my target.

“I want to say a big thank-you to Oxfordshire based companies Savvy Construction Ltd and D&M Plant Hire Limited for their support and sponsorship.

“It is really easy to ask people for money when it is going to such a great cause. I found out about the charity through the event and seeing the difference it makes, it is definitely a charity I will stay involved with.”

To donate to Mr Henry, see justgiving.com/ArcticRugbySteve