Photo: Rugby players scrum at the pole

They said they’d make it to the pole for a game of rugby and they actually did it. On April 28, a group of British rugby players with local guides arrived at the first ever recorded Magnetic North Pole, on Ellef Rignes Island in the High Arctic, in order to break the Guinness World Record for the most northerly rugby match ever, and also to raise money for Wooden Spoon, a charity that helps disabled and disadvantaged youth in the United Kingdom. The group made the 160-km trek from Resolute Bay in four days. According to their Arctic Rugby Challenge blog, the group faced bitter winds with daytime temperatures ranging from -15 C to -20 C but dropping to -40 C or so at night. For the record, Team Tim — captained by former international full back Tim Stimpson — won the match over Team Ollie, lead by ex-England 7s player Ollie Phillips, with a final score of 17 to 14. They now await official confirmation that they have broken the world record. (PHOTO COURTESY WOODEN SPOON)