Lincoln Rugby Football Club

I played some junior rugby at the club in his early teens before discovering beer and women and having a few years off. I returned to rugby after watching the 1991 World Cup and am very proud to be asked to captain the 3rd team again in my 20th year of senior rugby.

Richard Cockerill once commented that there were only 2 things missing from my game and preventing me going all the way to the top - skill and ability - personally I think he was wrong, he missed out fitness.

With a prop forwards courage and love of contact and the build and speed of a winger I can found lurking around the midfield area of the pitch at either centre or (god forbid!) fly-half. (Or should that be a wingers courage and...??)

Some key members of last years 3rd team include:

Rob "Rhino" Smith - bulldozing winger was last year top scorer (according to Rob!)who has developed his own unique side-step which involves running in a straight line over the opposition.

James "Gone Fishing" Finnigan - our reliable and tenacious scrum-half; until the ground got hard at the end of the season and he disappeared with his fishing rod.
Graham "Big G" Nicholson - nearly as old has his captain Big G's boundless enthusiasm is a constant irritation to his team mates but he is the heart and soul of the team adding some much needed bulk to the pack.

Neil "Distinct lack of" Haire - another veteran who has played every position in the acked during the course of the season. Neil must also hold the distinction of being the most travelled man at the club last season as he yo-yoed between the 2nd and 3rd team as the 2nd team captain obviously thought he had an aversion to playing home
games!

Last season had its highs and lows, the low points coming when "we" managed to inadvertently leave a player at Cleethorpes (well, he should have played better!) and when a very inexperienced team was thumped at Grimsby who rubbed salt into the wound by managing to flood our changing room as well. However, that only served to inspired us to achieve the glorious high of emerging victorious in the return
fixture, sweet revenge!

There were also 2 very close games against Gainsborough ending one-a-piece although Gainsborough thought had done the double after the ref informed they had taken the lead with a try in the second of the match only for their celebrations to be cut short when we pointed out that the ref had added his score card up incorrectly and we had won by 2 points; magic!

We also had several hard fought matches against the 4th team who raised their game every time and gave us fright or two although we did win all 4 matches! The last weekend of the season saw a historic moment when a combined Lincoln 3rd and North Hykeham team reached the final of the Pennant League Cup where we lost to a last minute try to host club Market Rasen 2nds (in a match refereed, surprisingly, by a Market Rasen referee!)
Several players who had their first senior games with us went on to represent the first team and there are others who I am sure will progress this season to do the same.
So that is us, hope we will see often throughout the season either as players or spectators.

All the best,

James Kelsey, 3rd team captain