A VETERANS rugby team from the Royal Logistics Corps gave players at Trowbridge Rugby Club a run for the money on Wednesday night in a charity game.

Organised by Gary Thomson, who served with the RLC for 25 years, the game ended 32-21 to Trowbridge who put forward their second and third XVs.

“We always try to open up the serving military rugby teams with the civilian community and sport is a great way to do that,” Mr Thomson said.

“The game is an opportunity to mix and get experience and sometimes people become isolated in the military and a rugby match around this time of remembering servicemen seemed the perfect way to pay tribute.

“The guys are very experienced and some have spent 20 or more years in the military and so most have known men or women injured of even killed.”

Mr Thomson, who has managed rugby teams between operational tours of the Balkans, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, hopes to make the game an annual Remembrance Day fixture in the RLC calendar.

He added: “The RLC guys come from all over the county and we only get to play a few times a year so it is occasions like this where we make sure we savour every minute. One player has even flown in all the way from Northern Ireland to take part.”

The RLC provides logistic support functions to the British Army and is one of the biggest corps in the Army.

Ross Edwards, who has been part of the Trowbridge Rugby Club for 12 years, said despite not being able to play because of an injury, the game was one he had been looking forward to for a while.

He added: “The game is really important because it is all about remembering our soldiers who have fought for our country and who are still fighting for our country.

“Rugby is a great sport to be involved with and although we’ve said it isn’t a competitive match, I’m sure once the men step on the field it will be competitive.”

The RLC are sponsored by Briggs Equipment UK which allows the ex-personnel to play as their games are not funded.