Bexhill Tiger supports Help for Heroes

The aim of this special match was to raise over 1million to support the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Help The Heroes exceeded that amount by 250,000.

Twenty soldiers serving with the 2nd Battalion (2 PWRR), also known as 'The Tigers', were invited to act as official flag-bearers prior to the start of the match following their recent return from a three month tour of Afghanistan.

One of them was Lance Corporal Simon Gearing from Bexhill who said, "It really was a day to remember: the atmosphere at Twickenham was amazing. I can't think of a better way to raise valuable funds for such a worthy charity as Help For Heroes."

Lance Corporal Gearing, 32, has served with PWRR for twelve and half years and is a member of the Tigers Freefall Parachute Display Team.

Captained by former England World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio, the Help For Heroes side took on an International Select XV in front of a 52,254-strong crowd and won the match 29-10.

He said, "This is a hugely important occasion for all the players and management taking part but nowhere near as important as raising funds for the rehabilitation of our wounded soldiers. A lot of people regard sportsmen and women as heroes but the real heroes are the people that serve their country in Iraq and Afghanistan and other areas of conflict."

The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment is the infantry Regiment for the South East of England.

PWRR recruits solely in the South and South East of England '“ Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Middlesex, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight as well as London. It has two Regular Army Battalions '“ 1 PWRR and 2 PWRR - and one Territorial Army Battalion '“ 3 PWRR. Its Regimental HQ is based in Canterbury whilst its 1st Battalion is based in Germany, the 2nd Battalion in Cyprus and the 3rd Battalion which has five companies based across the South of England. Members of all three Battalions are currently serving on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Regiment has a long, distinguished history, having been involved in virtually every theatre of war since The Battle of Tangier in 1662. It is the most decorated of all British Army regiments, with 57 Victoria Crosses including the VC awarded to Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry in 2004 for his gallantry in Iraq.

If you would like to find out more about a career with The Tigers, either as a Regular or Territorial soldier, call the PWRR Recruiting Team on 0800 1695808 or visit www.armyjobs.mod.uk or www.123pwrr.co.uk for more information.