DON’T DROP THE BALL ON YOUR HEALTH – CLUB BACK TESTICULAR CANCER SOCIETY CAMPAIGN

April is Testicular Cancer Awareness month, and we are pleased to support a groundbreaking new campaign and kit from Testicular Cancer Society to encourage men to get testing.

A new simple self-check kit, the Amateur Anti-Doping Test, that can help detect testicular cancer is set to be rolled out within sports across the UK in a bid to raise awareness among young men, catch the disease earlier and save lives.

Whether you’re a rugby player, footballer, cyclist or even a chess enthusiast, the kits, which are based on anti-doping tests offer a simple check through a urine sample.

While professional athletes undergo frequent medical screenings, cancer checks aren’t necessarily involved, and amateur athletes often don’t have the same facilities. This oversight is putting millions at risk, particularly regarding testicular cancer.

Approximately 2,400 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year in the UK, making it the most common cancer among men aged 15 to 45. Nearly half of all men are unaware of the importance of self-examinations or fail to take them seriously yet, when caught early, testicular cancer has a survival rate of 99%.

With sportsmen predominantly falling in the age group most susceptible to testicular cancer, we are raising awareness and the necessity for kits like this to be available from grassroots clubs all the way up to elite level.

Hopes for the campaign include teams and clubs securing the kits for their players by signing up and taking a voluntary pledge at amateurantidopingtest.com.

The campaign is also driven by compelling insight: some pro athletes who tested positive in routine doping screenings were later diagnosed with testicular cancer. This unexpected link inspired a positive disruption—transforming anti-doping tests into a vehicle for proactive health checks for all athletes, not just the pros.

Players have tried the kits themselves and are supporting throughout the month to raise awareness of early detection, self-checks and the new kits.

During April, we will be hosting several workshops, available to nearby schools/clubs, our appropriate pathway teams, and university partners, to help educate men as the most common age for testicular cancer starts as young as 15. We will also be sign posting information to fans and other clubs who use the ground.