22/08/2026
💥MR&L RUFC’s Walking Rugby dig deep!💥
MR&L’s walking rugby team, The Greyhounds, enjoyed a successful away trip to this year’s WalkFest26 Festival at Old Leamongtonians in Warwickshire on 26 July. The Greyhounds went into the WalkFest festival, one of the largest walking rugby events in the Midlands, in good form, having reached the semi-final of the Sutton Seadogs’ tournament at Sutton on Sea a few weeks earlier.
Due to holidays, injuries and seasonal farming commitments, the Greyhounds travelled to WalkFest26 with seven players, enough for a full side, but not enough to field substitutes. What followed from the magnificent seven of Norm Pringle, Will Vessey, Simon Plumb, Darren and James Keat, Blair Southwood and captain Rory Day was some high quality walking rugby and tries galore. Despite being unable to rotate players and bring on fresh legs, the Greyhounds showed no sign of wilting in the swelting temperatures and won four of their five group games.
Having finished fourth out of 10 teams in one of the two groups, the Greyhounds then went on to play a further game to decide fifth/sixth position in the festival. Facing a Barbarians team made up of several younger players, the Greyhounds, most of whom were now running on fumes, were initially overwhelmed by their more youthful opponents. However, they dug deep and mounted a spirited comeback, before eventually succumbing to a score of six tries to four.
Finishing sixth out of 20 teams was a great achievement, especially considering the much larger squad sizes of many of the teams competing in the festival. One of the best moments of the day came during the final ceremony, when the Greyhounds’ sportsmanship throughout the festival was recognised with a Fair Play award. The team’s total of 27 fair play points, awarded by the referees of each game, was the joint-second highest among the 20 teams.
A special mention goes to Will Vessey, who despite carrying a shoulder injury played through the pain barrier and proved that it is possible to score bucketloads of tries with only one fully functioning arm!
With the new rugby season currently getting underway, now is a great time to give walking rugby a try. No experience is needed, just enthusiasm! The Greyhounds train every Thursday evening (7-8pm) at Willingham Road, Market Rasen, and also take part in festivals and friendlies, come and join us!
❤️💚🏉
