All Golds v Newcastle Thunder KPL1 2016 - FINAL_2

union safely, and for those
carrying injuries or disabilities.
Small wonder that so many
rugby league clubs in the
UK, Australia and New
Zealand (where the game
began) are now recognising
the importance of having a
Masters section.
I was invited along to what
was basically a reunion
game for players from the
old Redditch Halcyons,
Worcester Saints and
N.E.W Ravens sides. I really
couldn’t understand how it
was possible to play “noncompetitive
rugby league”
- surely a contradiction in
terms if ever there was one.
And how was it possible for
old codgers like me (then
aged 55) to play against fit,
fast and huge blokes in their
late 30s?
I had read the rules, seen
how different age groups
wore different colour
shorts and understood
the modifications from the
normal rules of the game
designed to give greater
levels of protection with age;
but surely it couldn’t really
work in practice?
35 to “seasoned” 65 year
olds wore huge grins as they
formed the traditional postmatch
huddle and posed for
photos. Many were playing
with old mates they hadn’t
seen, let alone played with,
for decades, including my
brother who could never
have dreamt he would be
celebrating his 50th birthday
playing rugby league
(unbeknown to his wife!).
Every sport has more explayers
than current players
and rugby league is no
exception.
Historically once rugby
league players, be it
professional or amateur,
could no longer meet the
physical demands of the
game their only option was
to take up rugby union and
they were lost to the game.
In June I will be joining 40
other players on a tour to
France where we will be
playing new Masters teams
from Toulouse, Carcassonne
and Avignon, whilst on 26
June there will also be a first
Masters RL festival in Wales
at the home of South Wales
Scorpions.
In August we welcome the
touring Australian Masters
and next year the GB Masters
will tour Australia and New
Zealand coinciding with the
World Cup.
The “Spirit of Masters” is
really all about cameradarie
and having fun; the essence
of social rugby. The official
Masters motto is “we don’t
stop playing because we
grow old; we grow old
because we stop playing”. It
could just as easily be “old
enough to know better but
still daft enough to do it
anyway”.
29
Well, after 50 minutes of
running more than I had
in the previous 30 years,
it all made sense and I
was absolutely hooked.
The game ended, like
every Masters game, in an
honourable 0-0 draw – no
matter how many tries are
scored.
All of the 30 players, ranging
in age from a fresh-faced
Masters RL enables those
players to stay with their first
love and carry on playing
with their mates for many
years to come. It means they
remain actively involved with
their clubs. It also introduces
newcomers into the game
at any age - the chairman of
Masters RL played his first
game of rugby league at 62;
it is ideal for rugby union
vets no longer able to play
For more information about
Masters RL go to http://www.
mastersrl.co.uk/ or contact
Andy Cave on 07946 384546
Last year Medway Masters
featured in a BBC “Get
inspired” article. To see them
in action and learn more
about Masters RL go to
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/
get-inspired/33279690
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