A FORMER player for Cornish Pirates has set up a fundriaising page to raise money for a diabetes charity afteer being diagnosed with the condition himself. 

Will Cargill played for the Cornish Pirates between 2015 and 2021 and made 118 appearances for the club, scoring over 600 points, and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes earlier this year.

Will has since decided that he wanted to do something to raise money for a cause he describes as being "so close to my heart" and "incredibly important to me."

Since setting up the GoFundMe page, Will has raised £2,156 of his £2,500 target with the help of 72 supporters. 

On his GoFundMe page, Will explained: "As many of you know a little over a year ago I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and it completely turned my life upside down and it took a long time to come to terms with my new normal.

"It all started on December 18th 2021 when I ruptured my bicep during a rugby match. After the game I was taken to hospital, scanned and told I would need surgery to reattach it. 

"On New Years Eve 2021 I underwent surgery. The surgery itself was a success but waking up from the surgery I knew something else was wrong. The week following, I was drinking litres and litres of water every hour, constantly thirsty, always having to wee and most notably, I lost 12kg (26.5lbs) in weight. 

"Exactly a week later on 7th Jan 2022 my wife decided something had to be done so she called the doctors and booked me in for a blood test. I went Friday morning and had my bloods drawn and, at 6:30pm, I got a call from my doctor asking me to come into the surgery asap. I went in and they tested my ketones and revealed to me I had type 1 diabetes."

Cornish Pirates said: "Will was a terrific servant both on and off the field throughout his six seasons with the Pirates (2015-21), during which he made 118 appearances and scored over 600 points for the club."