Those with connections to the Cheshire club – as well as the wider rugby community – will take part in a 250-mile cycle over the Easter period. Lymm’s Oli Higginson explains more + we give you a brief lowdown of what’s to come in Round 18. (Photo Credit: Gareth Lyons)

“To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible.” 

This is the club motto of Munster Rugby, and it originates from one of the provinces’ great families, the McCarthy’s. 

The words encapsulate the resilience and strength of character of the club, and it is a mantra which has been adopted across the Irish Sea and in the clubhouse of National Two North’s Lymm RFC.

So, what’s the connection?

The answer? Liam O’Callaghan.

A bit of research reveals Liam is second in the list of all-time senior appearances for Lymm, but the link with Munster, for those outside of the Cheshire club, may only have come to light fairly recently. 

On January 14th 2024, Liam sadly passed away after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. 

Treatment for back pain led to the diagnosis, but after showing no symptoms to begin with, it had spread to his spine, hips and thighs. Liam’s cancer was at Stage 4 when he was diagnosed aged 55. He died aged 60.

Liam touched the hearts of many at Lymm but he was also an avid Munster fan, making the pilgrimage with his brothers to Limerick (the birthplace of his parents) and to Thomond Park to watch his beloved team.

To honour Liam’s memory and to raise awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer UK, Liam’s brother Mark – and those at Lymm – have organised a 250-mile ‘Lymm to Limerick For Liam’ cycle ride during the Easter period (April 17th-20th, 2025).

“The full cycle itself is pretty impressive!” says current 1st XV player Oli Higginson, with the journey taking riders to Chester, across to Holyhead, over to Dublin, into County Laois and then finishing in Limerick, where they’ll watch Munster vs Bulls in the United Rugby Championship.

“There are so many people chipping in where they can and I think that just tells you all you need to know about Liam and what he meant to our club.”

For Higginson, that certainly rings true. Liam was his wife’s godfather and the best friend of his mother and father-in-law.

“He was such a lovely, great guy,” Higginson continues. “He played for the club for such a long time. I am sure he has got 400 games or something like that! 

“He went from playing 1st XV to 2nd XV to 3rd XV and then Vets and continued to play. He was an integral part of the club both as a player and a member for all of that time.

“My very first training session when I was Under-10s, Liam’s son was playing in that team so Liam was coaching us for a short amount of time. 

“When you go to a club when you’re a little bit younger, you hear other people talking about, at that time, senior players and Liam was certainly one of those.  He was just a huge part of the club and he meant a lot to a lot of people.”

Ball in hand, Liam sounded like a delightful player to watch. A tribute on Lymm’s club website described him as ‘a fly-half with a blistering turn of speed who played the game with skill and panache’ whilst he would enjoy ‘nothing more than to attack the opposition from anywhere on the pitch.’

Liam’s style of play is perhaps embodied by Lymm’s current 1st XV who currently sit third in National Two North and just five points off the top with a game in hand.

After finishing 10th in their debut season in the fourth tier last term, the Cheshire club’s exciting brand of rugby and excellent performances have catapulted them into a three-horse title race along with leaders Leeds Tykes and second-placed Sheffield.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lymm Rugby Club (@lymmrfc)

“From what I can gather as a player, Liam liked to throw the ball around a bit!” Higginson, who has played 278 times for Lymm, says. “I think some of his mates have said he was more than happy to run it from under his sticks and have a go from anywhere!

“I suppose that is pretty similar to the sort of style, to a point, that we like to play now. We like to try and make it entertaining. It is fun to play and you can see why Liam liked playing this way and playing to his strengths as well. 

“Moving to us, it is only really our second season in this league. There was a lot for us to work on from that first season and we wanted to push on for this season.

“We were always confident [we could push on] but did we think it would have gone as well as it is going so far? I don’t think so if I’m perfectly honest! 

“I’m going to sound a bit cliché, but it just starts to gain momentum, doesn’t it? You start to rack up a couple of wins and all of a sudden, it then goes from strength to strength.”

Lymm began this season by stitching together a faultless run of 11 successive bonus-point victories before suffering their first defeat – and dropped points – of the campaign against table rivals Sheffield at the start of December.

Since then, Adam Fletcher and Andy Davies’ side have returned to the winners’ lounge. They head into this weekend’s meeting with sixth-placed Tynedale following four consecutive victories but they haven’t been straightforward successes. 

Late tries against Preston Grasshoppers (9th), Chester (7th) and Sheffield Tigers (11th) proved to be enough to get Lymm over the line whilst in their most recent fixture, they had to battle back against bottom-of-the-table Harrogate to earn a 36-31 away win.

“The amount of games that I have been in where we have lost those games…we did it last season,” Higginson adds. “Example, we were winning against Wharfedale on the opening day and were level against Huddersfield [in Round 2] with a minute left, and ended up with nothing out of those games. 

“Many Lymm teams in the past – which I’ve been involved in – probably would’ve thrown those [this season’s] games away and I suppose that is the sign of this team that even when everything isn’t going to plan as much as we would like, we are still grinding those wins out. 


“It is such a tough and competitive league. It doesn’t matter who you play, there is no given game. It is nice to see the lads digging in and it is just so important for us to keep this momentum going. It is so tight at the moment but we are enjoying the ride.”

This gripping National Two North title race looks set to continue into April, the final month of the season, due to the high standards being set by Lymm, Leeds Tykes and Sheffield.

And if, by then, Lymm are still involved in this tussle at the top, it could be a very special time for everyone associated with the club with the ‘Lymm to Limerick to Liam’ cycle more than playing its part.

A cluster of riders are former Lymm players who all played Colts with Liam as well as Neil Fairbrother (ex-Lymm and played cricket for Lancashire and England) and club members such as Phillip Young and Steve Rule.

Fellow National Two North side Chester are also showing their support via Treasurer Martin O’Brien, a fellow Munster supporter.

“The big thing I am seeing with this is that people are helping out where they can,” adds Higginson. 

“I know recently that two more members of the club have signed up to do the full ride itself so that group of riders has increased. “Then, there are other members who are driving buses and helping out.

“There is no pressure for people to do the ride or anything like that but if you want to help with a leg, help with the organisation or even just make a donation, it will be greatly appreciated.”

“To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible.” 

For more information: https://www.lymmrugby.co.uk/latest-news/lymm-to-limerick-for-liam/

How to donate: https://www.justgiving.com/page/lymmtolimerickforliam

—

Around the leagues in Round 18

Sticking with the theme of Lymm (3rd) and National Two North, they welcome an in-form Tynedale (6th) to Crouchley Lane with the intention of returning to action by securing a victory.

Title candidates and table toppers Leeds Tykes also face a tricky assignment when they travel to fifth-placed Wharfedale. The hosts have won their last six at home while the Tykes edged this corresponding fixture 12-8 last term. Second-placed Sheffield welcome Hull (10th) to Abbeydale Park with the top three separated by just five points but, as mentioned in the interview above, Lymm do have a game in hand to come at the end of the month away at Fylde (4th).

Elsewhere, Preston Grasshoppers (9th) will be aiming to build on a positive few weeks when they entertain an Otley (12th) side desperate to arrest a run of one victory in eight matches while Fylde (4th) take on Sheffield Tigers (11th), Chester (7th) host bottom-of-the-table Harrogate and Billingham (13th) go to Hull Ionians (8th).

Last week saw another twist in the National One title race after league leaders Rams lost 25-22 away at Sale FC (8th) so Seb Reynolds’ side will be targeting an instant response when they take on Bishop’s Stortford (10th) at Old Bath Road.

Following their setback in the North-West, Rams’ gap at the top was cut to a single point after title rivals Richmond (2nd) picked up a 33-17 victory away at bottom-of-the-table Darlington Mowden Park. This weekend, Rob Powell’s troops welcome Dings Crusaders (9th) to The RAG with the sides having drawn 31-31 apiece back in Round Six.

Third-placed Rotherham Titans – who had a watching brief last week – are six points off the top with a game in hand, and Harvey Biljon’s men will be looking for a ninth win from their last 10 games when they entertain 13th-placed Leicester Lions in Round 18.

The Lions’ table rivals Esher (12th) have experienced that winning feeling over the last couple of weeks and Peter Winterbottom’s charges will be eyeing up a third victory on the spin when they visit Darlington Mowden Park (14th). Also in National One, a confident Sale FC (8th) go to fourth-placed Rosslyn Park, fifth visit sixth as an in-form Plymouth Albion travel to Blackheath while Sedgley Park (11th) will be aiming to take another stride forward when they clash with Birmingham Moseley (7th).

Over in National Two East, the latest Kent derby is a standout fixture in more ways than one. Fourth-placed Canterbury will make their way up the M2 to face Westcombe Park (5th) and to add an extra subplot into the mix, both are currently on six-match winning runs so something has got to give at Goddington Dene.

Above them, table-toppers Tonbridge Juddians – who lead the way by six points – host Havant (10th) while Barnes (2nd) take on Guernsey Raiders (7th) and Dorking (3rd) travel to Oxford Harlequins (12th).

Elsewhere, sixth-placed Henley Hawks will be looking to return to winning ways at home against Colchester (13th), bottom-of-the-table Worthing go to Old Albanian (9th) and Bury St Edmunds (8th) come up against Sevenoaks (11th).

And lastly in National Two West where, after giving title-chasing Clifton a scare and snatching a dramatic victory away at third-placed Cinderford last time out, Hinckley (9th) will be aiming to cause more problems, this time for league leaders Camborne. Emyr Lewis’ troops have won three of their last four games so will have a spring in their step when Town arrive in the Midlands but the table-toppers will also be confident of extending their unbeaten run to seven matches.

As for the aforementioned Clifton (2nd), they sit six points behind their rivals ahead of a meeting with bottom-of-the-table Devonport Services.

Sticking towards the wrong end of the divsion, Macclesfield (13th) go to Cinderforfd (3rd) this weekend while Bournville (12th) – who sit four points clear of the danger zone – take on Hornets (10th) at Avery Fields.

Also in Round 18, Taunton Titans (4th) go to Old Redcliffians (7th), an in-form Redruth (6th) are the visitors to Luctonians (5th) and the ‘battle of the universities’ sees Loughborough Students (8th) travel to Exeter University (11th).

Make sure you follow National League Rugby on social media + hit like and subscribe on our YouTube channel!

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | TikTok | Threads