FORMER York rugby player Robbie Dolan has made The Longest Try of his life by running across Australia with a rugby ball to raise money for charity.

On Saturday an exhausted but jubilant Robbie scored his try at the Rugby League World Cup Final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane after running 1,119 miles from Melbourne over 42 days across three states.

Speaking to The Press at Brisbane airport ahead of his long flight home, he said: “I am very tired but so glad we achieved this. I don’t think I was prepared for how hard it would be.

“In the first 13 days, I ran the equivalent of 13 marathons and then I got injured.. The camber in the roads threw my hip out. I had to rest and get fit again and then catch up.

“The last ten days were into the humidity of the tropics, so really tough. But to get on that field at the end and score a try made it worthwhile.”

He said watching celebrities, such as Eddie Izzard raising millions of pounds for charity had spurred him on but perhaps made him try to aspire too high and he had self-funded the project and been unable to get a main sponsor.

His epic journey was successful though, raising almost £5,000 for Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, which supports children with life-changing illnesses, as well £5,500 to be shared between The Children’s Tumour Foundation of Australia and Miracle Babies Foundation.

He carried a vintage leather 1950s rugby ball on his journey as a tribute to his grandfather, Laurie Dolan, a second row forward for York and Dewsbury and also ran in memory of his mother, who died while he was on a scouting trip to Australia last year.

Robbie said: “I got into rugby league through my granddad and it’s nice to hold a ball like he used to play with and wonder how the hell he used to play with it, because it’s an awful thing to hold.”

The Roald Dahl charity tweeted congratulations, saying: “What a HUGE achievement ... Well done to you Robbie for your hard work and dedication to support three charities! You are #marvellous.” Donations are still open at thelongesttry.com