A CROWD of present and former players and supporters turned out at Salisbury Rugby Club on Boxing Day for the annual match in memory of Rory Walworth.

Walworth's former school, Bishop Wordsworth's, also sent players to compete in the match against the club he played for before his untimely death in 2009.

He died aged just 19 after a fatal cycling accident, where his mountain bike collided with a tractor close to the A36, Walworth was tragically declared dead at the scene.

The memorial match was first organised by Walworth's cousin Nico Flanaghan in 2009 and is still going strong to this day.

Salisbury hosts the match every Boxing Day with help and support from the school.

It has become an important occasion for old friends to gather, to play a game, and to celebrate Walworth's memory.

The games in 2020 and 2021 had been cancelled due to the pandemic.

This year around 40 players signed up for the game, and a large crowd of specatators enjoyed watching in the sunshine. Teams were captained by Iain Miller and Ru Coley.

The match is always played with ferocious intensity but in good humour. The match was refereed by Adam Wookey, a friend of Walworth's and himself a former junior player at SRFC, now a referee in the professional game.

Wookey had his hands cut out to keep charge of a boisterous bunch but said the players were very well-behaved, and fortunately nobody had their Boxing Day spoiled by injury.

Salisbury return to competitive action in the new year, hosting Marlborough on Saturday, January 7.