For the first time in more than a year, a rugby match took place in South Holland on Saturday.
The RFU lifted the COVID-19 led ban on seniors playing that day and Spalding’s Veterans team took to the pitch for a friendly against their counterparts from Deeping in the first action for the club since March 2020.
Following the current RFU guidelines, the clubs played a variation on the rules which included no scrums or mauls.
The game was end to end with some missed tackles and a few passes going astray and by halftime the visitors were leading 17-10.
With a very firm ground, players were willing to be substituted to give their bodies a rest whilst Deeping eased further into the lead winning the match by 39-24.
But it was one of the Spalding players who showed his pace, as Gav Sharman claimed a hat-trick.
A spokesman for Spalding Rugby Club said: “Players were somewhat rusty having not played for at least 14 months but the enthusiasm was there.”
