Philanthropic back-row Pontefract player, Jayden Field, is competing in the London Marathon on Sunday 26 April 2026 to raise money for a charity that, for reasons that will become clear later in this article, is close to his heart, The Teenage Cancer Trust.

As members may know, Jayden joined Pontefract at the beginning of the season and made an instant impression as a hard-running no.8. He was recruited by Tony O’Brian, our Rugby Development Officer who at that time coached part-time at the University of York where Jayden was studying for an undergraduate degree in Business Management.

Like a number of the current senior squad at Pontefract, Jayden’s rugby heritage is with the other code. He was captain of Castleford Tigers Youth set-up from Under 14s to U19s, where he played loose forward and was part of the England RL Academy. Unfortunately, as an eighteen-year-old while waiting to go up to York he received the tragic and distressing diagnosis of cancer of the blood. But he fought the disease head-on, spending the summer having treatment at St James’ and was nonetheless able to start his degree on cue for the first semester. It was while attending Uni with a clean bill of health that Jayden was introduced to the intricacies of rugby union forward play.

Having graduated in 2025, Jayden is now studying for a master’s degree at the University of Leeds in Management Consulting and hopes to forge a career in commercial banking with Lloyd’s Banking Group. We wish him all the best.
Jayden explains: ‘It was tough having to battle cancer as an eighteen-year-old. But I had the support of my family and friends and was resilient and able to remain positive. I know cancer can be devastating to many, so want to give something back and help provide support for kids in a similar position to what I experienced as a young man.’

So, we ask members to support such a good cause and sponsor ‘s London Marathon challenge by making a donation, however small, to the Teenage Cancer Trust at the link below:

https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/jayden-field