The newly named Bedfordshire Barbarians Super Vets travelled to face their Buckinghamshire counterparts on Saturday (28 March) in the latest friendly match allowing rugby players aged 50 and over to lace up their boots once more.
£290 was also raised for the Alzheimer’s Society in the latest exhibition that had already seen the team play three games in aid of various charities in the region.
Bedfordshire Barbarians Supervets have been formed from the previous Bedfordshire County Supervets side, as they stride out independently, and continue to encourage men of 50 years and older to get back involved in rugby union, all while raising money for charity.
Saturday’s clash took place at a blustery High Wycombe RFC, and Bedfordshire came out on top again to keep their 100% record throughout the 2025/26 season.
The game started with the wind behind the hosts backs, and very physically, as a dominant Buckinghamshire side came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders, with great carries from the forwards and strong running by their centre duo.
However, it was Bedfordshire captain Charlie Nissen, of Dunstablians RFC, who opened the Barbarians account with a well worked try, only for Buckinghamshire to come back moments later with a try of their own.
The following passage of play saw both teams attacking and defending hard, until Virgil Ferguson of Bedford Swifts cut an amazing line of his own, arced out wide only to out fox his defender by sleight of foot and darting back inside to canter over the line.
It left the Bedfordshire Barbarians just ahead at 5-12.
New boys Buckinghamshire were still attacking and defending like the Colts they once were, and continued to cause the Barbarians a headache, with a storming run from one of the Buckinghamshire forwards leading him to crash over the line to make it 12-12.
Bedfordshire, now concerned that they may have met the nemesis who would halt their unbeaten record, had to do something quickly to put the pressure back on to home team, and thankfully they had Ampthill’s Damon Blakey in the armoury to do just that.
He zipped through the field to bag himself the first of his brace of tries, before Ace McDade added his own try before the break taking the score to 12-19.
Other Bedfordshire try scorers in the second period included Karl Belmar of Stockwood RFC and Bedford Swift’s, Andy Copley to help take the final score to 17-41, with Stockwood’s, Paul Harman on kicking duty for conversions.
As one would expect post-game, the clubhouse was alight with great tales and slightly blurred memories of the last 80 minutes as Bedfordshire welcomed Buckinghamshire RFC to the Supervets fold.
Should any of the town’s older rugby players want to get involved, or help support or sponsor this initiative, you can email bedssupervets@gmail.com.
The Bedfordshire Barbarians Super Vets’ next game is on Saturday, 18 April against Middlesex Supervets, hosted by Leighton Buzzard RFC.
