Grandstand view: Chelsea Pensioners were at Warlingham on Saturday for the venue’s first walking rugby festival, which included a team from the Royal Hospital
We’ve had walking football. There’s walking cricket, too (if it ever stops raining).
Now, up at Warlingham rugby club and at Old Whits, they are playing walking rugby, and a visit at the weekend from some old soldiers from the Royal Hospital at Chelsea added a bit of scarlet class to what’s thought to have been the first walking rugby festival.
The premise of walking rugby is: if you can walk, you can play.
Like the other walking versions of sports, it is intended to get people who might not have the zip to their play as in their younger years, out and about, modestly active and engaging socially with a bunch of friends. So good all-round for mental as well as physical well-being.
There is zero contact or impact in walking rugby – so no controversies over “high” tackles – while keeping all the fun of passing the ball and scoring tries. And its appeal is spreading to younger players, too.
Both retired and current players and those with no previous rugby experience take part, and they are also joined by women and girls. There’s no advantage to being a grizzled 20-stone male prop forward.
Guests of honour: WRFC chairman Dave Toye with the Chelsea Pensioners on Saturday
The festival at Hamsey Green on Saturday saw eight teams take part from clubs across Surrey and south London. A team from the Royal Hospital was made up of Chelsea Pensioners and some military support staff.
The event was hosted by The Gifted and Warl Eyed Peacocks Walking Rugby Club – a joint venture between Warlingham and Old Whitgiftians RFCs.
The oldest player on the day was 84, while the youngest was just 16.
“Little did I know that an idea I had of a walking rugby team, at my old club the Old Whitgiftians, at a Boxing Day fixture last December would turn into a joint squad of over 30 and growing each week,” said Mal Seward, the Peacocks chairman.
“I knew I loved rugby but couldn’t play for many years because of degenerative spine problems but I thought that walking rugby might be the solution. I didn’t realise just how much fun we would have and that everyone has a permanent smile on their face.”
The rugby walkers club was named “Peacocks” because of the exotic birds which famously roam the grounds of the nearby Whitgift School in South Croydon. “A few ex-Warlingham players were invited along to a session and Frank Wright, who was sceptical about it, now heads up the Warly-Eyed Peacocks.
“We have decided to play under The Peacocks banner so that other clubs may join our community.
“I have never been involved in such a comprehensively inclusive venture. The wonderful thing about walking rugby because of the no contact rules and the pace, anyone large or small, male or female can play on a fairly equal footing.”
New players are always welcome and anyone who like to try it out please contact Mal Seward mal@peacockswalkingrugby.org – there are sessions on alternate weeks at Warlingham’s Hamsey Green ground and at The Old Whits, Croham Manor Road, South Croydon.
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