Get ahead of the game – bag your bargain ticket and free t-shirt
Ready to take on a challenge for a great cause?
Prepare to lace up your boots, grab your mates, and join Rowcroft Hospice’s annual event – The Big Tackle – on Saturday 13 March 2027. This epic day out involves a scenic eight-mile sponsored walk around Torquay, plus a FREE pint, pasty and the screening of the Six Nations Rugby – England v Scotland. Whether you’re walking for fun or in memory of a loved one, it’s your chance to make a difference for patients and families facing life-limiting illnesses across South Devon.
Sign up before midnight on 7 December 2026 at our ‘Kick-off special’ rate and you can bag bargain tickets at just £20 per adult and £12 per child (aged 8+), and get a FREE t-shirt! Prices increase after this date, so don’t miss out on the best deal. As the ticket price only covers the costs of running the event, we ask that everyone raises or donates a minimum of £50 to support the hospice. So please reach out to friends, family, clubs and colleagues to sponsor you.
Score big for your community
While your Big Tackle entry fee covers the costs of putting on the event, it’s the money raised through sponsorship that really makes a difference in helping us to care for our community.
Every pound you raise goes to support the hospice in caring for 2,500 patients and their loved ones annually across South Devon. Here are a few examples of how the money you raise can make a difference:
- £16 – could pay for a healthcare assistant to support a patient with life-limiting illnesses for an hour, in our Inpatient Unit or at home.
- £60 – could pay for two hours of care from a nurse to a patient at home, offering specialist support to them and their loved ones through the toughest of times.
- £110 – could cover the hourly cost of running Rowcroft’s entire Hospice at Home service – caring for patients across South Devon in their homes in their last two weeks of life and helping them to make the most of precious last moments with their loved ones.
Last year’s Big Tackle brought together over 1,500 participants who raised an incredible £150,000 for the hospice. This year, we’re hoping to raise even more. Bring it on!
Rupert’s story
Rupert Stickland from Kingsteignton (pictured centre in photo above with ‘Stickies Squad’ team mates) was 18 when he took part in The Big Tackle in 2025.
He walked in memory of his late father, Craig Stickland, who was cared for in Rowcroft’s Inpatient Unit before he died aged 54.
Walking with the ‘Stickies Squad’ and raising around £300 for the hospice, Rupert said:
“My dad had always been a military man – he was a serviceman in the Blues and Royals (a cavalry regiment of the British Army) and he died at the hospice on Remembrance Day 2024.
“He’d been diagnosed with a brain tumour in spring 2023 and then had a stroke. It was such a relief when he arrived at Rowcroft, and the nurses were fantastic. Rowcroft did everything for the family; nothing was too much trouble.
“I wanted to do The Big Tackle walk to support the hospice. It’s a top charity and my dad was a big supporter of Rowcroft, as his dad was cared for by the hospice too.”
The Big Tackle ticket prices
Kick-off special
Available until midnight on 7/12/26
£20 adult/£12 child
Includes a free event t-shirt!
Half-time offer
Available from 8/12/26 until midnight on 25/01/27
£24 adult/£12 child
Includes a free event t-shirt!
Final whistle deal
Available from 26/01/27 until midnight on 7/03/27
£28 adult/£12 child
(T-shirt not included)
On the day
Available 13/3/27 only
£60 adult/£15 child
(T-shirt not included)
Please note that the event is open to everyone over the age of eight.
Volunteer for the Big Tackle
Want to join the action without walking the route?
Become a Big Tackle Volunteer and help make this year’s event unmissable! Volunteers are essential to the day, from cheering on participants along the course to serving up pasties at the finish line—and we’ll keep you fuelled with food, drinks, and plenty of good vibes as our way of saying thanks!
A huge thank you to our sponsors
We’d like to say a massive thank you to the Torquay Rugby Club for hosting our event, and to our fabulous sponsors WBW Solicitors, Torbay Clearance Services and Bays Brewery for supporting The Big Tackle.
Other Rowcroft Events
