The Duke of Edinburgh Cup Wales 2026: £25,000+ Raised for DofE Wales and Techniquest

The Duke of Edinburgh Cup Wales 2026, including Beyond the Fairway, delivered an unforgettable day at the iconic Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor, bringing together competitive golf, inspiring conversations, new experiences and an incredible fundraising effort in support of young people across Wales.

On the course, 2026 marked the first ever Duke of Edinburgh Cup Wales Qualifier, taking place alongside the long established Peter John O’Toole Cup and giving our winning pair the opportunity to progress to the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Cup World Finals.

Beyond the Fairway returned bigger and better for its second year, with Techniquest STEM Curiosity Challenges, Give Golf a Go with Wales Golf and a thought provoking fireside discussion exploring AI, STEM, the future of work and how we can best equip young people in Wales for the opportunities ahead.

And at the heart of it all was a shared purpose.

Through the incredible generosity of everyone involved, the event raised more than £25,000 for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Wales and Techniquest – two organisations celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2026 and making a lasting difference to young people across Wales.

With the Twenty Ten providing an incredible backdrop, plenty of sunshine (and just a few quickly passing Welsh rain showers!), The Duke of Edinburgh Cup Wales 2026 was about far more than what happened on the golf course.

A Special History Behind the Peter John O’Toole Cup

At the heart of the golf remains The Peter John O’Toole Cup, a competition with a particularly special connection to RMS.

The Cup was originally established by Peter O’Toole, founder of RMS, in memory of his father, John. Following Peter’s passing more than ten years ago, his name was added to the trophy.

More than 21 years after Peter founded RMS, the competition continues to bring together colleagues, customers, partners and friends to compete for a trophy carrying the names of Peter and John O’Toole.

For 2026, that tradition continued while an exciting new competition added another dimension to the day.

Two Competitions. Two Winners.

For the first time, The Duke of Edinburgh Cup Wales Qualifier took place alongside The Peter John O’Toole Cup.

Golfers competed as teams of four for the Peter John O’Toole Cup, while also competing in pairs for the opportunity to progress to the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Cup World Finals.

Congratulations to the Sainsbury’s Property team of Finlay Wallace, Edward Lowe, Ian Jackson and Robin Watkins, who lifted the 2026 Peter John O’Toole Cup.

There was even more to celebrate for Ian Jackson and Robin Watkins, who also secured the pairs title to become the winners of The Duke of Edinburgh Cup Wales Qualifier.

The pair will now progress to the Duke of Edinburgh Cup World Finals, with an incredible experience ahead including world-class golf at renowned venues including Wentworth, the opportunity to play at the Royal Household Golf Club and a Gala Prize Giving Dinner at Windsor Castle.

The introduction of the qualifier added another level of competition and opportunity to the golf, while retaining the history and friendly competition that has become such an important part of the day.

Beyond the Fairway Returned for 2026

While golfers took on the Twenty Ten Course, Beyond the Fairway returned for its second year with an expanded programme and a new focus.

Created to challenge the traditional idea of a charity golf day and ensure non-golfers could be equally involved, Beyond the Fairway brought together business leaders, professionals and guests for a day centred around AI, STEM, the future of work and developing the next generation of talent.

🔬 Sparking Curiosity with Techniquest

The day began with interactive STEM Curiosity Challenges delivered by Techniquest.

Through hands-on activities, teams were encouraged to collaborate, problem solve and think creatively, demonstrating many of the skills that will become increasingly important as workplaces and technology continue to evolve.

The challenges also provided a fitting opportunity to celebrate Techniquest’s 40th anniversary and four decades of making science, technology, engineering and mathematics accessible and exciting for young people across Wales.

🏌️ Give Golf a Go with Wales Golf

Beyond the Fairway attendees then headed to the Twenty Ten driving range, where coaches from Wales Golf delivered a relaxed introduction to the game.

For many attendees, it was their first opportunity to pick up a golf club and experience the sport at one of Wales’ most iconic golfing venues.

Give Golf a Go remains an important part of the Beyond the Fairway concept: removing some of the traditional barriers associated with golf and giving everyone the confidence and opportunity to try something new.

🔥 Preparing Wales for an AI-Powered Future

Following lunch, kindly supported by PureCyber, attention turned to one of the central themes of this year’s event:

How do we prepare the next generation for a world being transformed by AI and rapidly evolving technology?

The fireside discussion brought together perspectives from business, technology, education and organisations working directly with young people.

The panel featured:

Robert Lloyd Griffiths OBE, chairing the discussion
Louise Harris MBE
Russell Greenslade
Sue Wardle
Vicki Sutton

Together, the panel explored how AI and technology are changing the way people work and interact, the skills organisations will need in the future and how Wales can ensure young people are equipped to take advantage of the opportunities ahead.

The conversation considered the importance of STEM, but also the increasingly valuable human skills that sit alongside technological capability: confidence, resilience, communication, curiosity, adaptability and the willingness to step outside your comfort zone.

It was an especially fitting discussion in a year when both charities supported by the event are celebrating significant milestones.

Techniquest celebrates 40 years of inspiring curiosity and helping make STEM accessible and engaging.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award celebrates 70 years of helping young people develop confidence, resilience, communication skills and independence through experiences beyond the classroom.

As AI and technology evolve at extraordinary speed, those two missions are increasingly complementary: inspiring the curiosity to embrace what comes next while developing the human skills needed to thrive alongside it.

Bringing Everyone Together

As the golfers returned from the Twenty Ten Course, the two sides of the event came together.

Golfers, Beyond the Fairway attendees, sponsors, speakers and supporters joined one another for an evening of food, networking, prize presentations and fundraising.

It provided an opportunity to celebrate the day’s winners, continue conversations started throughout Beyond the Fairway and, most importantly, raise even more for the two charities.

More Than £25,000 Raised

The generosity shown throughout the event was incredible.

Through entries, sponsorship, the charity raffle and auction, on-course activities and donations, the day raised more than £25,000 for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Wales and Techniquest.

The funds will support two organisations creating opportunities for young people across Wales, helping them develop skills, discover new possibilities and build confidence for their futures.

A special thank you also goes to Laura Alexander and the team at Hodge for their support of the raffle fundraising effort.

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Partners

An event of this scale is only possible through collaboration.

A huge thank you goes to our Tier One sponsors: Browne Jacobson, Thomas Carroll, Enterprise and RMS for their support of The Duke of Edinburgh Cup Wales 2026 and Beyond the Fairway.

Thank you to our other event sponsors: Owens Group, The Retail People, thinkBooker, AMH Construction, AJM, and CineNorth Studios.

Thank you also to PureCyber for supporting lunch during the Beyond the Fairway programme, Techniquest for delivering the STEM Curiosity Challenges and Wales Golf for introducing our Beyond the Fairway attendees to the game.

Across the Twenty Ten Course, sponsors, colleagues and volunteers also helped deliver the activities and challenges that added to the atmosphere throughout the round.

This included the £50,000 Hole-in-One Challenge, supported by Priority, and Beat the COO on the 17th, hosted by RMS COO James Davies alongside Becca Crowhurst.

Unfortunately, nobody drove away with the £50,000 car this year – but there is always next time!

An Incredible Response to the Raffle and Auction

The charity raffle and auction once again played an important role in the fundraising total, made possible by an incredible collection of donated prizes.

Our thanks go to all those who contributed, including:

Educ8 Training, The Celtic Collection, Paul Thorburn, HSBC, NatWest, Thomas Carroll, Mech Tech Professionals, Sainsbury’s, Cardiff and Vale College, FRP Advisory, Cardiff Rugby, Swansea City Football Club, Glamorgan Cricket, Gruff Parsons, Padium, Escape Rooms Cardiff, Exitus Escape Rooms, TeamSport Go Karting, Lloyd Brett and the Welsh Rugby Union.

A special thank you also goes to Russell Kin Trust and Elmbridge Properties for their generous donations towards the day.

Every prize donated, raffle ticket purchased and auction bid contributed towards the final fundraising total.

Beyond the Day Itself

The Duke of Edinburgh Cup Wales 2026 demonstrated what can happen when businesses, charities and communities come together around a shared purpose.

There was competitive golf and plenty of fun, but the ambition behind the event extended much further…

It was about creating new connections.

Starting meaningful conversations.

Giving people the confidence to try something new.

Exploring how businesses can help prepare young people for a changing world.

And ultimately, raising more than £25,000 to support two organisations already making a significant difference to young people across Wales.

Thank you to every individual who helped make the day possible.

We hope the impact of the day continues long beyond the fairway.

More Highlights Coming Soon

We captured some fantastic moments throughout The Duke of Edinburgh Cup Wales 2026, with CineNorth Studios documenting the day through photography and video.

We’ll be sharing more video highlights and stories from the event very soon.

Keep an eye on the RMS website and social channels for more from an unforgettable day at Celtic Manor!