Leading FX institutional exchange LMAX Exchange has announced the launch of the LMAX Exchange Everest Rugby Challenge, hosted in partnership with Wooden Spoon, the UK’s leading children’s rugby charity.
Taking place in April 2019, this event marks the first-ever attempt to set two Guinness World Records for the highest altitude rugby matches on Mount Everest.
The LMAX Exchange Everest Rugby Challenge will aim to raise a minimum of £200,000 for Wooden Spoon, a charity committed to transforming the lives of disadvantaged and disabled children and young people across the UK and Ireland through the power of rugby.
The challengers aim to set world records for:
- The highest altitude game of full contact rugby played
- The highest altitude game of mixed touch rugby played
The four teams of challengers will be captained by former international all-star rugby players, which include Shane Williams, Andy Gomarsall, Ollie Phillips and Tamara Taylor. The challenge is a gruelling trek from Everest base camp up the mountain to the Tibetan Advanced Base Camp at an altitude of 6,500m, where the games will be played.
David Mercer, LMAX Exchange
David Mercer, CEO of LMAX Exchange commented:
A trek up Mount Everest is daunting enough, but these star players have chosen to go one step further to try and break two world records. This brave team, which includes both men and women, is banding together to take on a mission never attempted before in support of a fantastic cause.
At LMAX Exchange we have aimed high to break new ground, successfully pioneering the exchange style execution model for FX, and more recently charting new territory with the first ever institutional physical cryptocurrency exchange. We are committed to driving positive change not only in the financial services space, but also to catalysing social change in the world around us. We consider corporate sponsorships a vital element of our transformative business strategy. Every year, we take part in at least one sponsorship that supports equal opportunities for people of all genders, backgrounds and abilities.
Rugby is a game of integrity and teamwork. This spirit drives both Wooden Spoon and LMAX Exchange in what we do. We are proud to support Wooden Spoon and will be enthusiastically cheering the players on, as they work to set world-records and fund life-changing projects for children and young people.
Sarah Webb, CEO of Wooden Spoon commented:
We are very pleased to be partnering with LMAX Exchange for this exciting and important event. This marks our second partnership with the LMAX Exchange. In 2015, our joint efforts helped set a Guinness World Record for the northernmost game of rugby ever played at the North Pole.
We have set an ambitious goal of raising more than £200,000, which will be distributed across a range of different projects that support disadvantaged and disabled children and young people. These include community programmes, specialist playgrounds, medical treatment centres and sensory rooms. We wish all those involved the very best of luck and look forward to working with LMAX Exchange on future initiatives.
The LMAX Exchange Everest Rugby Challenge will be managed by Adventure Peaks, who have more than 18 years of experience of leading expeditions on the North Side of Everest.