The trip was in aid of Help for Heroes, a charity that is raising money for the rehabilitation and care of injured service personnel who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We sent along RFU.com reporter Simon Ward who followed the pair through the experience.

Diary:

25 August 08, 0846

Waiting in departures lounge at Brize Norton – like no airport I’ve ever been in – the farewells and good wishes have far more resonance and feeling, especially from family. Seeing kids say goodbye to their fathers rips me up. No buzz here.
Expectations? Not sure. Anxious? Yes, a bit..fear of the unknown.

Travel out to Al Udeid airbase in Qatar by charter, then onto Basra by C130 Hercules cargo plane.  Atmosphere very calm – ordered, controlled.

243 personnel in desert fatigues – party of 6 not! Our party consists of Bryn Parry, founder of Help for Heroes charity, Ieuan Evans and Scott Gibbs, Welsh rugby legends, Jonathon Northcott, writer from the Sunday Times, Matt Cardy, photographer and Flight Officer Gareth Rapkin, our escort for the trip. Our mission? To get a better understanding of our forces work abroad whilst providing them with a fillip/distraction from their normal routines with the presence of Ieuan and Scott.

2233/0033 local time

Long day travelling. It felt like I was in a film where you see all the soldiers lined up facing each other ready to disembark.

We’d been warned at our briefing on the previous Friday about going over into Iraqi airspace, having to put on our body armour and helmet (which was to become our permanent outfit from then on).

There were lots of twists and turns before landing, I found out a possible reason why afterwards.  Scott, Ieuan and Bryn had been invited to sit in the cockpit for the second leg of the journey.  It turns out they’d been steering part of the way!

The reception at Basra airport was warm, friendly and organised.  We were met by Steve and Ollie from the First Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (it took a while to get used to calling them by their first names but they insisted) who took us by jeep to our billets. Outside temperatures topped 100 degrees fahrenheit but the air-conditioning in the buildings was a very necessary part of the facilities and very welcoming too.

All six of us were in a breezeblock dorm/tent with an arched reinforced roof, each sleeping in our own partitioned section with bunk beds, collapsible chair and hanging wardrobe. I slept on the lower bunk because the upper bunk was taken up by reinforced steel girders and breezeblocks and sandbags! Very reassuring.

We were briefed on the itinerary whilst gorging on egg. After being warned about the temperature, 47 degrees Celsius, and the 75% humidity, we had a very informative chat with our two liaisons before crashing out – we’re up at 0615 tomorrow with a very full day ahead.

Tuesday 26 August, 0615

Had a shower, after surprisingly good sleep.

Breakfast is full on and good variety and quality. I have to remember to take body armour wherever we go, unsurprisingly given where we are, the rule is it has to be within 20 seconds of you at any time.

0715

Ieuan and Scott are taken to try out the quad bikes whilst the rest of us head for a briefing from Intelligence. Thankfully, there’s been a significant reduction in mortar attacks – 27 rocket attacks in July 08 compared to 800 for the same month last year.

The services are now actively mentoring the Iraqi Army in Basra and surrounding areas in various facets so that they can handover completely in the not too distant future.

After that, we’re taken out to the shooting range where Scott takes the ‘Deadeye Dick’ award.

The heat is oppressive and we are constantly reminded to take on water. At home it’s up to two litres per day, out here it’s eight.

We take a short break to get out of the sun, chatting to Sergeant Majors over an iced coffee, can’t find a Starbucks for love nor money!

0930

We take a walking tour of the compound including the gym. Sgt Major Paul Radford (ex West Hartlepool second row) explains the necessity for training very early in the morning. Boredom can be a problem whilst on a six month tour out here (welfare is addressed with internet access, rental of Wiis, television via the British Forces Broadcasting Service) so the gym is popular. With the heat, most people finish off their tours honed, toned and with very little excess body fat.

Next we meet up with some of the Fusiliers who show us around two of their tanks. Most of these guys are 18-20 and show amazing mental and physical strength to cope with the weight, the concentration and the application in conditions that would drive the most ardent sun worshippers to air-conditioned salvation.

The majority of the Fusiliers are from Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and London, many are round ball followers but all are appreciative of the efforts that have been made for this visit.   The tales of patrols and duties inside the tanks are incredible, limited air-con means it often heads up to 60 degrees during a four or five hour session.

Temperatures are now approaching 50 degrees, our t-shirts are soaked through again.  Wearing the body armour is necessary but accelerates the fluid loss. I’m feeling a little light headed as we head for the shade.

We have to navigate unmade, undulating tracks to the hospital where we take in the impressive facilities and thankfully few patients at the moment.

Lunch is taken at Claridges, slightly different to the Piccadilly Circus version, but nevertheless a good choice and good food as we put some calories back in.  I still can’t get used to people queuing up for their food with great automatic weapons slung over their shoulder.

The restaurant is a new ‘hard’ building, another indicator that permanence is now a requisite in the forward planning, whichever country the troops are from.

After another informative briefing from Captain Crispin Fordham we head over to the car park outside Claridges, where a pitch has been marked out with tape and the inaugural Basra tag 7s has already begun. Eight teams from various divisions show outstanding commitment and discipline in ridiculously hot conditions. Lance Corporal Tuitubou was playing for the British Army at Twickenham two weeks ago, now he’s playing on a gravel dust bowl for Camp Delta in Iraq.

It’s immediately evident that this is a huge release for all those involved and the smiles as they chat informally with Scott and Ieuan tell their own tales. After some impressive displays of rugby skills, particularly from the Fijian players, as winners it’s Camp Delta who accept the signed Help for Heroes rugby ball from our two legends.

We bid our thanks and farewells to all who have made our visit so special and head for the waiting room at the airport for our flight back.

Wednesday 27 August, 0130

We are sat in the breezeblock lounge in the departure area contemplating what we have just seen. It’s almost been too much in 24 hours. All of us seem to have discovered a whole new level of respect for the work that is carried out here and elsewhere, ‘humbled is a word Ieuan uses, and this experience has only served to reinforce and re-energise our desire to make the Help for Heroes charity and particularly the match on September 20 the biggest and best it can possibly be.

Our service personnel deserve nothing less.

The Help for Heroes XV, managed by former England captain Phil de Glanville, will face an International XV managed by Ieuan Evans on Saturday 20 September at 2.30pm. The match aims to raise £1million for Help for Heroes charity and the care and rehabilitation of injured British service personnel who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tickets for the Help for Heroes match on September 20 are available from Ticketmaster on 0844 8472492 or www.Ticketmaster.co.uk

Tickets are priced from £20 for adults, £10 for juniors (under 16) with a family ticket for two adults and two children costing £50.00.  Help for Heroes is supported by Investec, Lord Ashcroft and Nintendo.

Help for Heroes XV: Lawrence Dallaglio, Martin Johnson, Dan Luger, Martin Offiah, Will Greenwood, Paul Volley, Mark Regan and Richard Hill.

International XV: Scott Gibbs, Kenny Logan, Jonah Lomu, Zak Feaunati, Gordon Bulloch, Dave Hilton, Jeremy Paul and Colin Charvis.

Ends…