Corpus alumnus Johnathan Zemlik (m.2011) has earned a place in the record books by helping to set a new Guinness World Record for the Longest Game of Rugby. The game successfully raised over £100k for the rugby mental health charity LooseHeadz, the rugby children’s charity Wooden Spoon, and the British & Irish Lions Trust. 

The nearly 35-hour game brought 92 players across the UK playing for men’s and women’s world records respectively. Hosted at Mullingar RFC in Dublin, the teams were mixed from representatives of each charity. Jonathan played for the WoodenHeadz. The final playing time, accounting for breaks and injury time, was 34 hours and 48 minutes with a score of 2,713 to 1,655 to the LooseSpoons. You can read more about the game on the Wooden Spoon website.

He said, “It’s been an amazing journey and I’d like to thank the all the clubs and institutions I've been part of for their support and generosity! Rugby has given me the mental fortitude to keep going when you hit the wall. This is one of my greatest sporting achievements alongside the legendary M3 VIII's Blades Campaign in the 2014 May Bumps.”

Johnathan has had a career in business development and marketing. He is now Head of Contact Centre solutions for Wavenet, the UK’s largest managed service provider, where he has designed Contact Centre solutions for the DVLA, NHS 111 and the Football Association. He plays both Rugby Union and Rugby League for various clubs, including the International Gay Rugby club Kings Cross Steelers, Ossett RUFC, LooseHeadz Barbarians and York Barbarians RLF. 

During his time at Corpus, Johnathan studied history and was also a dedicated rower. His activities and extravagent fashion sense earned him the title of Cambridge Tab's first Big Name on Campus (BNOC). He now uses his social media accounts to support diversity and inclusion both in sport and business.

You can follow Johnathan on Instagram @johnathan.a.zemlik and on Twitter/X @JohnathanZemlik.