A STATE of Origin Rugby League match jointly organised by a former Royal Navy coach from Clanfield will be the climax of a fundraising day at Petersfield Rugby Club today (Saturday).
Steve Penberthy says the day will be full of big hits and emotion as two teams of Royal Navy and Royal Marine servicemen battle for bragging rights in the final match.
He said: “The UK has been split from Land’s End to John O’Groats and players represent either the western team or the eastern team.
“They play for the area where their first posting in the Navy or the Marines took them, and many of them play together for their current base, or the Royal Navy Rugby League team.
“But there won’t be any love lost between them, and the hits will be big – they are already training in their squads and the rivalry is intense now.”
The day will be a fundraiser for charities including the Royal British Legion and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, as well as Petersfield charity, Home-Start Butser.
The match, and the warm up game between former players, is the brain child of former Navy physical training instructor Wayne Okell, who in 2007 was awarded an MBE for services to sport.
He said: “This will be mate against mate, and no holding back. But at the end they will come together and remember those who couldn’t be there for whatever reason – it’s very emotional.”
The free event today (Saturday), at the Penns Place rugby club, starts at 10.30am when recruiting teams will be on hand to answer questions about enlisting, while the Royal Navy Cadet Field Gun team is put through its paces.
From 12.30pm to 2pm coaches will be running rugby sessions for youngsters, and at 2pm the Veterans State of Origin game will kick off, followed at 3.30pm by the big game, which will finish about 5pm. There will also be a fundraising lunch.