- Rea rode a lap around the pitch at Windsor Park in Belfast on a road-legal Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade
- Beforehand, more than 200 participants together completed 120 laps on foot, the distance from Belfast to Daisy Lodge
- More than £176,000 has been raised since 2016, with the goal of exceeding £200,000 by the end of 2026
Race tracks like Jerez are Jonathan Rea’s usual territory. That is where, in October, he already rode the next generation of the Fireblade as a Honda test rider. At the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park, lap times did not matter. On a Sunday in October, more than 200 people from Northern Irish football gathered at the home ground of the Northern Ireland national team in Belfast. They were raising money for children and young people with cancer. Rea rounded off the day on his motorcycle.
Why did Jonathan Rea ride a motorcycle through a football stadium?
Rea was the motorised finale of a charity event marking the tenth anniversary of a partnership. The Irish Football Association, Northern Ireland’s football governing body, and the charity Cancer Fund for Children have been working together since 2016.
For his lap around the pitch, Rea used a road version of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade. He knows the superbike inside out from his work with Honda in the World Superbike Championship. Alongside the motorsport star, well-known faces from football also took part. Among them were former internationals Steven Davis and Gareth McAuley as well as Michael O’Neill, manager of the Northern Ireland men’s national team.
Davis recalled the start of the partnership in 2016. At the time, Northern Ireland were playing at the European Championship in France, and the team and fans were closely united. That sense of community lives on in the work with the charity, he said.
What is the Road to Daisy Lodge GAWA Relay?
The Road to Daisy Lodge GAWA Relay is a relay in which participants together walked 120 laps around the pitch. Combined, that equals the distance from Belfast to Daisy Lodge, the charity’s therapeutic centre in Newcastle, County Down.
GAWA stands for Green and White Army, the name used by fans of the Northern Ireland national team. On the pitch were players, coaches, former football stars, athletes from other sports, fans and families. The focus was on the families supported by the charity. They shared their stories with the participants, showing what the money is needed for.
How much money has been raised for Cancer Fund for Children?
Since the partnership began in 2016, Northern Irish football has raised more than £176,000 (approx. 211,000 euros / 236,000 US dollars). According to a report by RideApart, the event at Windsor Park pushed the total to over £180,000 (approx. 216,000 euros / 241,000 US dollars).
The stated goal is more than £200,000 (approx. 240,000 euros / 268,000 US dollars) by the end of 2026. Back in September, Northern Ireland’s Nations League match against Hungary already featured a dedicated awareness day for the charity. The relay at Windsor Park was the next step towards this goal. Further donations can be made via the partnership’s fundraising page.
Michael O’Neill praised what the fans have achieved for the charity over the past ten years. He pointed out that there is no government funding, which makes donations on this scale particularly important.
How does Cancer Fund for Children help affected families?
The charity provides practical and emotional support to children, young people and their families as soon as a cancer diagnosis affects the family. This help is available at home, in the community and directly on the hospital ward.
Daisy Lodge is a key part of this. Affected families can take a therapeutic break there free of charge. The need is great: according to the charity, around three children and young people aged up to 24 are diagnosed with cancer in Northern Ireland every week.
Jonathan Rea after his racing career
For Rea, the appearance in Belfast was a home game away from the race track. At the end of 2025, he ended his career as a full-time rider in the World Superbike Championship, in which he won six titles. Since then, he has been working as a test rider for Honda, continuing the development of the Fireblade. On the superbike he usually pushes to the limit in testing, he rode a leisurely lap of honour at Windsor Park in front of football fans and families.
