Auld Greys impressing students & helping Active Cumbria campaign
Since Kendal RUFC’s Auld Greys were formed in 2018, they have collaborated with the sports students at Kendal College, introducing them to the world of walking rugby, and either involving them in games, or having them lead a session.
Earlier this year, they had two consecutive Wednesday sessions with the students who were between 16 and 18 years old, while the Auld Greys are aged between 55 and 82. The more senior citizens had 30 men and women of all abilities warming up alongside 15 students and put all into random teams to play a series of round robin matches.
Said Paul Want a founder member of Auld Greys: ”Within minutes of starting to play the students’ perceptions of pensioners were rubbished. They could see the teamwork, we knew the rules, helped and encouraged each other and some of us were even giving youngsters tips while playing. As the sessions progressed they were properly mucking in and the desire to score a try as an individual changed to the desire to help the team score. We weren’t keeping tally, just having shed loads of fun playing sport in the great outdoors.”
Live Longer Better
As part of their community involvement, the Auld Greys are collaborating with Active Cumbria in promoting a Live Longer Better campaign aimed at the over 65s. Tto mitigate the effects of disease and infirmity in later life, the campaign promotes strength, stamina, suppleness, skills, cognitive function and social interaction, all of which the walking rugby players have been focusing on as a group for the past five years.
Said Paul: ”Our aim is to work with other walking sport groups, our friends at Barrow Rugby League, doctors surgeries and other volunteer groups in and around South Lakeland in getting the older adults active. Over the past five years we have seen our players improve in their overall fitness, skills, mental wellbeing, social interaction and levels of fun. We are using rubgy as an activity to deliver these benefits.”
Karen Taylor the RFU’s National Player Growth Manager has been impressed by the work that the Auld Greys are doing.
“Rugby really is a sport for all and walking rugby can be hugely beneficial to the physical and people’s mental wellbeing, especially older people who can often become isolated,” she said.
“Auld Greys are an excellent example of providing healthy activity in a social setting and of working with other sports and organisations to provide the best opportunities for those in their local community to get out, get healthy and have fun. By sharing their experience and facilities clubs achieve a more inclusive and diverse membership and become more sustainable, so it’s a win-win situation.”
