As someone who plies his trade in the front row, Carl Forster is used to putting his body on the line, but what the Barrow Raiders prop has done during the lockdown has taken that to a new level.

Last weekend, Forster took part in a 30-hour static bike ride for the Motor Neurone Disease Association charity, along with former rugby league pros Garreth Carvell, Keith Senior, Chev Walker, Wayne Godwin and Mick Cassidy.

Forster was asked to take part by his former strength and conditioning coach at Salford Red Devils, Josh Taylor, who initially planned to cycle from Leeds to Toulouse before the kick-off of the Super League clash between Catalans Dragons and Leeds Rhinos.

Obviously, the coronavirus pandemic put paid to that scheme, leading them to adapt it to cycling indoors with the aid of the Zwift app.

Forster, who turns 28 today, and the rest finished their ride at Sunday lunchtime and while his calves are still burning, he is proud to have been a part of it.

He said: "When somebody says it's for charity, you can't really say 'no,' can you?

"I obviously agreed to do it, but there were a couple of stages on Saturday night where I began to regret the decision.

"I was in bed on Sunday afternoon and I'm still in a bad way now, so it was by far the hardest thing I've ever done, but it can only put me in good stead for future challenges, with rugby obviously coming back."

Taylor, along with Paul Verity and Ewan Dowes, have managed to raise over £14,700 for the MND association, which they decided to back after Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow was diagnosed with the disease in December last year.

It's not the only ride Forster has done for charity during the lockdown, after previously raising £1,760 for Willowbrook Hospice by cycling 630 miles (the distance between the seven clubs he has played for) on his wattbike.