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My first game – Lewis Birch

Lewis tells us about his first game for Team Colostomy UK against PDRL United at Featherstone Rovers.

“After a short illness with ulcerative colitis in 2010 I had no option other than a permanent ileostomy.

I was determined afterwards that it was not going to stop me from doing all the things that I enjoy doing. Growing up in Hull rugby league is part of life. I played all through my childhood and while at school.

After coming across Team colostomy UK one evening on Twitter and hearing them talk about proving that if you can play rugby with an ostomy than you can do anything I knew I wanted to be a part of the team.

My first game for team colostomy UK was against a PDRL United at Featherstone. It was my first game of rugby for around 15 years. I loved every minute of it, the guys in the dressing room treated me as though I’d been a part of the team for years. That first game opened a door for me where not only did I meet a fantastic group of like minded people, each with their own inspirational story but I fell in love with Rugby League all over again.

I have met some incredible people through Team Colostomy UK and being a part of the team has helped me more than anything else, and I can not wait to be able to get on the pitch again with such an inspirational group of people”

If you’d like to play, volunteer or just find out some more information about Team Colostomy UK Rugby League email giovanni.cinque@colostomyuk.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram @teamcolostomyuk