Many members will know Phil Mann, former player and VP. Just over a week ago Phil's son James, aged just 21, lost his life to an aggressive brain tumour.

His family wish to do something in his memory to try and help find treatments so others do not have to go through what they have.

Please help if you can.

This is James story:

James was just 21 years old.

He was extraordinary - a phenomenal rugby player, golfer, an all-round sports nut, a personal trainer and a police officer. He was the youngest of three siblings, a much-loved son, a loyal friend, a nephew. He was our everything.

In mid - November 2025, our world was shattered when James was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumour. There was no warning, no time to prepare, no gentle easing into the reality of what was coming. From that moment on, everything moved terrifyingly fast.

Over the next 12 weeks, James endured five brain surgeries. He faced each one with courage, determination and the quiet strength that defined him. But the truth we were forced to confront is that bravery alone is not enough when there are no effective options left to offer.

On 30th January 2026, James passed away.

He didn’t stand a chance. And that is the part that hurts the most - because he should have.

There should have been something available to give James hope. A treatment. A clinical trial. A breakthrough. Something. But there wasn’t. Not for his type of tumour. Not in time. Not at all.

In the UK, brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and young adults and survival rates remain devastatingly low. This is not because these lives matter less - it’s because research into brain tumours has been chronically underfunded for decades. It is unacceptable and it must change.

The Rare Cancers Bill has now been heard in Parliament and is progressing through the House of Lords, offering hope that awareness and action are finally beginning to catch up. But legislation alone cannot save lives. Additional funding for research can save lives.

James should still be alive.

We are raising money in James’ name for The Brain Tumour Charity, to fund vital research and clinical trials into aggressive brain tumours - so that one day, families facing this nightmare are given real options, real hope and real chances.

Every donation, no matter how small, is a step towards a future where another young life is not brutally cut short and another family is not robbed of their child.

Please support us, in James’ name and give as much or as little as you can afford. Help us prevent James’ story becoming someone else’s too.

If love alone could have saved James, he would have lived forever.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/james-mann?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL