Those of us flying Friday meet for breakfast at Bank Street cafe.
Westers is that excited he’s there before it opens.
Newbies Mark Stuart Mark Webster Fonq (Guy)senior Ben Jennings Steve Osbourne looking excited as well.
We know now where Fonq junior gets his appetite when Fonq senior orders the BEAST breakie. Doesn’t succeed though and offers his left overs to everyone.
Bus turns up on time. JK is relieved.
Arrive at John Lennon airport, Westers gets emotional as he passes his bin.
No dramas in the airport, few beers and board the plane.
Land at Jersey airport , taxis to The Merton Hotel.
All check in , unpack and meet in the bar, Clinton meets us there. He's been there all week with the lovely Linda who’s now gone home.
I'm pleased to meet up with Jambo once again. How I’ve missed him.
Walk down to St Helier, bump into 2 Jags Cheesy and Chisey. 2 Jags mates from one of his old clubs Pershore. Two good acquisitions both on and off the field. They flew in earlier on 2 jags personal helicopter.
Onto the square and the Troubadour pub. Sun is shining and it’s full of aging rugby players from various clubs such as the RAF.
We also meet up with Moz Tony B John Peat and Tonys brother in law. We're grateful that their care home has let them out for the afternoon.
Beer and banter flows freely.
Charlie winding up Henley and RAF telling them Dykesy is gonna smash you and come and have your photo taken with the winners!
Onto the Lamplighters Inn for the traditional chilli vodkas for the newbies.
Fonq senior is excused the task due to medical reasons
All the newbies fulfil their task .
Coach Stuart realy enjoys his.
Onto Chambers where Jersey RFC hold their welcome party for all the teams.
Free chilli and rice is served.
We meet up with all the teams and reacquaint ourselves with old adversaries and friends.
Then our next batch of guys join on their later flight. Tom Sprott tour organiser amongst them.
Lots of beer wine gin consumed. Singing starts and everyone’s loving it.
Some of the oldies bail out early due to being completely sausaged!
Great day had by all .

Saturday

Everyone up early apart from myself and Braddy who sleep in till gone 9!
Down for breakfast. Noman already been back 3 times to the buffet.
Into the hotel pool sauna and steam room.
Most of the lads already in the pool.
Myself and Braddy running late.
So when we walk into pool I get Sam’s here watch it there will be a Tsunami . Or the water level will rise now! Just to quote a few.
Weather not great as it’s very grey and drizzly.
The pool is an indoor pool which connects to the out door pool
One of the guys says whilst in the outdoor pool. We’d better go in its raining!
Andy Shep Shepard is this year’s logistics manager being the youngest member and really throws himself into the role.
Bus there on time ready to take us to Jersey RFC.
We arrive at the rugby club with our last member there to meet us at the door. Sam Gough. I'm sure he won’t mind me saying. He’s our oldest player.

We're in a tough group of
RAF Vipers
Henley Fockers
Breizh Lascars

Henley have 2 teams there this year as a tribute to one if their veterans who sadly died on the pitch last season aged 46
Breizh Lascars are 1 of 3 French teams in this competition.
There’s no weak teams in the competition this year.
Everyone look very fit and very keen.
The weather gets gradually worse as the day goes on. The non players hit the bar a lot earlier than they want to. To escape the rain.
Onto our first match

RAF Vipers 5 Ossett Veteran's 7

RAF are very big and fit. They’re missing 2 players due their flight being delayed.
Kevin Ellis ex RL pro. And Alan Bateman ex British Lion.
Lots of big hits going in from both sides . Our forwards drive the ball in with good carries from Dykesy Noman Coach Stuart and Tom Bossed well by our scrum half Danny Bonner. Andy Bell controlled things from stand off.
The good drives from our forwards created space for Ben Jennings and he used his wheels to out pace the defence and score in the corner.
All conversions are drop kicks from behind the sticks. Our conversion is made.
2nd half and RAF pressure our line over and over and score a try.
Crucially they miss the conversion. 7 5
The rest of the half sees RAF throwing everything at us but our defence remained strong. Having quality players to roll on and off was a huge bonus.
Everyone making tackles.
Ben Jennings in particular making last ditch tackles.
We win 7 5.
Great great Win!

2nd match

Henley Fockers 0 Ossett Veteran's 26

A strong Henley side with their best player of the last 2 years the big South African back rower starting for them.
Again we started well.
Not much between the two sides early exchanges
Then our Canadian coach Stuart was passed the ball just off the ruck . He looked up saw 2 guys in front of him. Stepped inside one stepped outside the other weaving his way through with a body swerve.
He then found himself with nearly half the pitch in front of him and Henley players all hunting him down.
He showed a great turn of pace to out sprint the defence and score under the sticks.
We all went berserk on the touchline. Great great individual try!
Next try was a sublime bit of vision from Belly with a cheeky chip through the defence and Ben sprinted through collected the kind bounce and scored under the sticks.
2nd half saw old warhorse Ian Noman Whitehead score in the corner of some very good interchanging of passes with him to score in the corner.

Next try saw Shep score under the sticks with his first touch.
4 tries 3 conversations 26 0
This was Captain Dykes our talisman last game after getting his hand stamped on. His hand looked like a blown up rubber glove. Luckily he had it x rayed on the Monday and it just severely bruised. Cheers Charlie!

3rd game saw us having to wait an hour and half after our last match.
The weather had now turned to high winds with horizontal sleet and rain.
A couple of teams pulled out of their last fixture due to the weather.
This meant our fixture v the French team being brought forward by half hour or more. Our lads were fetched out of the changing rooms with no warm up.
All our supporters mixed the KO as we weren't aware they'd kicked off early.
Our guys missing our captain Dykes never got going and lost 3 tries to nil to a very physical French team in horrendous conditions.
Dobbo opened up Brexit talks his opposite number!

All in all the lads played really well on day one but disappointingly finished 3rd in our group because of teams forfeiting their game and other teams been given a 20 point win.

We had a few beers in the club house then back the hotel to get changed for our team meal at Bellagio's in town.
We met in the bar for gin n tonics all smartly dressed, Mark Webster looking like a Bollywood extra.
Great meal great banter . Lots of wine . Onto the Yacht Club with Coach Stuart and Webbo winning the dancing competitions.
All in bed ready for Sunday.

Sunday

Up very early as to miss traffic for the Jersey marathon
Noman managed 4 visits to the buffet breakie. All G going continental.
Sheps logistics once again spot on.

Weather was lovey and sunny but quite chilly .
The players tents put up as shelters were all blown down . Looking like there had been a hurrcane.
We were now facing Henley 1st in the quarter final of the cup.
Henley were a big fit side.
We battled well against them but they scored 2 quick tries.
They scored a third and we thought on the touchline we were in for a heavy defeat.
The lads battled hard and scored 2 well taken tries by JK fans favourite and wrecking ball Andy Webber.
This had Henley worried . Our guys run out of steam and Henley scored again to finish 28 14.
Very gutsy performance from us.

This then dropped us into the Bowl semi final against Breizh Lascars once again.
Dobbo opened up Brexit talks with his opposite number once again.
The game was very physical and quite tetchy.
Andy Webber putting in some huge hits which the French didn’t like.
JK got the ball and handed their French back off. He actually lifted him off his feet landing flat on his back. He wasn’t best pleased and muttered something in French at us on the touchline as he limped off.
This didn’t help Dobbos Brexit negotiations with his opposite number.
The following scrum broke up and Dobbo and his fellow prop had talks with JP coming to Dobbos aid.
They were sent from the field to carry their Brexit talks amongst the trees.
Final whistle went Breizh Lascars 14 Ossett 0.
A brutal win for the French.
Dobbo still not satisfied wanted to carry on his Brexit talks.
All calmed down and into the bar.
Worryingly Jersey official wanted to enter Brexit negotiations in the club afterwards.
Everything was negotiated and things ended amicably.
Captain Dykes bilingual skills helped immensely.

Henley went onto play the RAF in the final.
Henley went onto win with a last minute try.
Great competition once again. Organised superbly by Jersey and Kate Innes.

We held our tour/awards ceremony after the Jersey ceremonies.
Ben Jennings was named player of the tournament by Jez B
Tom Sprott was named dick of the weekend by Captain Dykes.

We said goodbye to our fellow tourist who were flying home Sunday t time.
Shep organised an Indian meal for us. Nice and cheap!
Then onto Chambers for kareoke Shep winning hands down.

Monday we had a cultural trip round the harbour/mariner a few beers and then home for Monday tea time.

Great weekend unlucky not to get a trophy.
All newbies loved it and are already spreading the word.
Get your direct debits set up.
Big thank you to Tom Sprott . Without his organisation this would not happen.
Well done to logistics manager Shep.
Well done all the players

Just a few quote from the weekend:
Off cocks on socks
Why is there a yellow submarine
I'll have a beast
Anyone want some of my beast
Fuck me it’s not Wetherspoons
£6.40!
Shall we have doubles
Take a photo of your room number
Cocoon crew
It’s Trouberdor not Tornados
There’s only white taxi drivers
Even the tramps dress smart
They don’t leave tramps macca d's they leave them salmon bagels and espresso
Hi my name’s Ben
One hand 3 fingers other hand 4 fingers.
He’s the new bond
Fuck me it’s Odd job
He looks like Cadfell the investigating monk
His hand looks like a blown up rubber glove
MOOOOSEEEE!
Webbers killed him
JK’s killed him
Cheesy chips
Is it Jizzy or Chisey
Charlie asleep stood up
Dykseys gonna kill you. Him over there
Have your photo took with the winners
Can I have a chilli vodka please
Le knock on
Brexit negotiations
Look at Moz in the corner
Is it a man or a women
We've missed your lovely pair
Guinness and black please
He looks like Alan Grogan in 10 years time
He was dancing last night. Just expressing him through dance
The one in pink is a bell end
Gay bar gay bar
Sit down Freak feet!
I've drunk that much Guinness I'm pissing clovers
I've drunk that much Gin I'm shitting juniper berries
Is that a wood pigeon
No it’s a real one
What do you mean you don't know the name of my hotel
Are they real or false
They're to upright to be real
Watch Danny's ears
One job Tom
Get down Shep
He swung through the tree's
He'll kill us all
Is Aimee ok

Cheers

Sam Drury