A TRIO of sailors are making a 180-mile journey on foot with a precious cargo for the captains of the English and Welsh rugby teams.

Chief Petty Officers Andy Gibbs and Philip White, along with Royal Navy veteran James Cameron-Wood, called in at Swindon yesterday on their way to the Principality Stadium with the ball for next Saturday’s Six Nations match.

Their odyssey on foot is part of a Doing it for Heroes campaign that has already raised close to £500,000 to rebuild the lives of wounded, injured or sick fellow service personnel.

Philip, who lives in Wroughton with his family, said: “I’ve known Gibbo for the best part of 10 years and I just thought this would be a good way to give something back.”

He coaches the HMS Collingwood rugby team and used to work in the navy’s leadership academy, taking students hiking in the Brecon Beacons. But the 36-year-old still needed to do some 10-mile hikes just to break his legs in.

The friends set off from Twickenham on Friday and passed through Hungerford before heading to Swindon and Cirencester on their way to Wales.

Leader Andy started the campaign with co-founder Georgina Crumpton in 2010, although he first raised money for the charity in 2008 following a deployment to the Middle and Far East. The first challenge was a walk from Glasgow to Edinburgh carrying a stretcher.

To sponsor the team visit www.justgiving.com/DIFH