THREE rugby players have undertaken a punishing three-day fitness challenge in memory of a teammate who died in an accident on the Celtic Manor Ryder Cup golf course.

The Drybrook RFC players have raised more than £1,000 for charity in honour of Ollie Floyd by rowing a half-marathon, running a full marathon and cycling 100 miles.

Green keeper Ollie, from Ross-on-Wye, was just 20 when he died in March 2015 after an agricultural spraying vehicle rolled into a golf course lake while working with his dad, Nick Rawlings, who was also injured.

Drybrook RFC’s Ben Large, Mitch Baldwin and Danny Price raised money for the Haven breast cancer charity that was very close to Ollie and his family’s heart.

Ollie, who also played for Ross-on-Wye RFC, where his father was senior team coach, loved rugby, and it’s not the first time teammates have raised cash in honour of him.

Drybrook players, including Ben and Mitch, raised more than £800 for Cancer Research UK in 2015 by running the Forest Half Marathon, which Ollie had been planning to run.

And Ross RFC raised £3,000 in tribute to him through a SmileFest day, while another £1,000 was raised towards a memorial bench at a golf day.

Ben Large said before undertaking the latest challenge: “This is significantly harder than anything we have previously completed and will take huge amounts of training in preparation.”

A club spokesman said: “Well done to the three players who took part in and completed the “Three days of fitness” challenge raising money for Breast Cancer Haven in memory of Ollie Floyd.”

After the tragic accident, Ross RFC described him as a “passionate” and “talented” member of the club.

Brian Harris, a club friend, said he was “a very cheerful, popular and a lively young man who lived life to the full”.

Donations are still being received for the fitness challenge at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ben-large2