Micky's Pembrokeshire
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Tenby United ‘Golden Oldies’ fly the flag in All-Wales Festival of Rugby
Tenby United’s old-timers took part recently in the All-Wales Golden Oldies 15 a-side rugby festival and carried the Pembrokeshire flag with such distinction that they were invited to a tournament in Trieste next season and will host the All-Wales tournament in 2013.
Three games in one day seemed a daunting task when they left for Caernarvon with a motley crew that included official photographer Dave ‘Bodie’ Bolton and sponge man Mike Brace. The squad was boosted by a couple of Pembroke veterans and after numerous necessary stops en route they were warmly welcomed in North Wales by three of their hosts in Owen (70), Emrys and John, both 65, the latter unable to play because he had a heart attack the previous year but still full of beans!
Winning start and further success
Tenby made a great start as they beat their hosts by four tries to one, with Jeremy Rossiter tackling like a demon, Nicky Rees showing how fit he still is, and tour organiser Gethin Williams as sharp as ever, with Dave Bolton and Mike Brace making cameo appearances alongside Darren Gilbert.
The second game was far more vigorous, because Llandudno were obviously there to do a little more than make up numbers. This was a bruising encounter with one or two players from both sides momentarily forgetting the ethos of ‘Golden Oldies’. But things soon settled down to some flowing rugby helped by the EGOR (European Golden Oldies Rugby) rules, well enforced by the young referees. Tenby had never played a game were all the players were older than the ref and with a victory margin of two tries to one this time. Tenby were the team to beat!
Again mention must be made of players who more than made up the numbers for Tenby such as lines man Russell Milne, who played a blinder, and John Lander, who put boots on for the first time in 20 years and played in all games and who received the vote from both travelling fans for the player of the tournament.
Brilliant in defeat
Tenby eventually lost to Dublin Pandas but were cheered by the crowd for the way that they played the game. ‘Golden Oldies’ presented the team managers with mementoes of the weekend, and Gethin Williams presented the home side with a Broad Field Farm-sponsored Tenby shirt while the rest of the team retired to the Black Boy to drown their sorrows in a very spirited way to round off what was a great weekend with some classic where the rugby was sometimes not for the faint hearted but was played with tremendous spirit. Special mention must be given to Mark Brace and his family of Broadfield Caravan Park for his fantastic gesture of supplying the whole team with specially printed new rugby jerseys for the occasion.
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