Sharnbrook and Colworth Rugby Club saw a bumper attendance on Saturday (7 November) as they hosted their annual Remembrance Day parade and friendly fixture in aid of the Royal British Legion.

A yearly fixture in the green and black colours, Sharnbrook and Colworth welcomed a Kettering side for the exhibition match, alongside a well-attended parade and a two-minute silence to respect those who gave up their tomorrow, so we can live our today.

The pre-match parade was led by currently serving Lance Corporal Jack Shears, former serviceman Sergeant Chris Strand, Lance Bombardier Tom Faulkner, and standard bearer for the Royal British Legion’s Kimbolton Branch, Brian Strand.

Both Lance Corporal Shears and Lance Bombardier Faulkner also lined up in the 21-strong Sharnbrook squad.

A short pre-match service included wreath laying and a two-minute silence, led by The Reverend Paolo Di Leo, Rector of St Peter’s Church in Sharnbrook.

Gerrard Atkins performed the Last Post as well as a Reveille; a morning call still used in militaries around the world today to signal the start of morning duty.

Story of the match

After the poignant memorials, the action got underway with Sharnbrook and Colworth coming out on top, beating a Kettering Select XV 31-17.

James Paull and Lance Corporal Shears saw Sharnbrook into a 12-0 lead midway through the first half with a pair of tries, although Kettering narrowed the gap a minute before the break with a score of their own to leave the half-time score at 12-5.

Lance Corporal Shears added to his try tally in the second half, scoring on the hour mark after further tries from Daniel Needham and Tom Dalton had extended the Sharnbrook lead to 26-5.

Two tries inside five minutes for the visiting Kettering team set up an intriguing finish inside the final ten minutes, but they were unable to narrow the gap further with the final score set at 31-17.

The final score was however immaterial, as Sharnbrook and Colworth welcomed the wider rugby community to an event that continues to draw crowds on a special occasion.

“We were delighted and humbled to once again be able to host this Parade on what is a very important weekend for a lot of people in the world of rugby and the wider community”, said a spokesperson for Sharnbrook and Colworth Rugby Club.

“Thank you to the Kimbolton branch of the Royal British Legion and everyone else who took their time to remember our fallen and take part in what is always a special event here.”

Sharnbrook and Colworth continue their East Midlands Merit title defence this weekend against Stockwood Park 2nd XV, and currently sit fourth after two wins from two league games.

Readers can follow their progress throughout the season here.