Nifty 50 years for rugby clubs’ duo
Noel Shields at the age of 56 has just completed his 50th season with Worthing RFC.
Noel Shields at the age of 56 has just completed his 50th season with Worthing RFC. There was a round of applause as he hit the milestone at a recent match playing at outside centre with the third 15, the Worthing Azurians.
His coach, Phil Lavill, used to play alongside Noel and says; “He’s the only one of our members playing competitive rugby who played at our old ground at Castle Road, where he began with the minis. He was always watched by his mum and dad, who still come to almost every match home and away. When he was recently involved in a bit of handbags on the pitch he got told off by his parents!
“Noel is renowned for his fitness, sometimes going for a 10k run on a Sunday, having played half a match on the Saturday. He's a real character and even has a pet turkey! He’s also such a good influence both on the training field and in matches. He’s still like a little kid and just wants to play, which is great.
Worthing Legend
“He’s keen to come back next season. Had we not won the Sussex Bowl with a walkover, I was going to put him on in the 50th minute but, having won the Bowl and league, we had a celebration social where he got lots of congratulations. He’s a legend really, and even coached our first ever ladies’ team.”
Noel started playing at Castle Road aged four and a half and says: “I’m still playing because I just love it and I try to keep myself fit so that I can carry on playing. My wife Allison thinks I’m mad but she’s been very supportive through my various injuries and broken bones. And yes, it’s true we have not one but two pet turkeys, Miranda and Hercules. Allison rescues lots of animals, dogs, cats, a three-legged fox, terrapins. We just inherit them all.
“I coached the women’s team almost 30 years ago because I was injured at the time and, apart from a couple of seasons with Shoreham when I worked there, I’ve always been at Worthing, which is a great club. There’s an excellent first team and it’s great that we’ve had a good influx of social players and have improved with Phil’s coaching. At some point I’ll finish my rugby career at Worthing, that may be creeping closer but I’m not hanging up my boots yet.”
Hartlepool’s original mini
At the other end of the country, as Hartlepool marked 50 years of mini rugby at Mayfield Park, one of those original minis was celebrating 50 years playing for the club. At 62, Paul Lister is still playing as a forward, having begun his rugby journey at 12 years old back in 1973 when he was part of Hartlepool’s first ever match for their minis team, known then as the Cubs.
Not only is he still running out for his childhood club half a century later, but Paul also helped the Friars 3rd XV to victory over Richmondshire recently. And with eight appearances for the thirds this season, playing at flanker or second row, he’s not quitting.
“Hartlepool had one of the first minis teams in the country, and certainly the first for a club in the North East,” says Paul. “We started training in 1972 and played our first game, against St Peter’s School, in 1973. There was no date on the picture in the clubhouse, so I went through the Hartlepool Mail archives and found the report which dated the match as 25th March.
Playing alongside his son
“I’d intended to retire at the end of the season and persuaded my son Thomas, who is 23 and whose rugby fell away during covid after playing fly half for the Firsts, to play a match for the thirds alongside me. There was a return to rugby drive at Hartlepool after covid and so we ended up playing together almost every week, including on the actual date of the 50th anniversary,” says Paul, who coached his son at the club as he was growing up.
Having been 23 years in the Royal Navy, Paul then spent 17 years working as an engineer surveyor inspecting electrics and was running out for occasional Hartlepool Vets games. In 2016 when he was put on a four-day week, he decided to use the extra leisure time to get fit and lost six and a half stone.
“I started swimming, went back to the gym and trained most days. I ran the equivalent of a marathon in lockdown and have run two marathons since, running the York marathon in four hours 20. I’ve run the Great North Run with my daughter Hannah and this year I’m running it with my other daughter, Louise.
“I’ve really enjoyed playing rugby alongside my son and because I’m fitter, and because I can, I’m going to carry on next season!”
