The mighty Hove Walking Rugby squad took to the hallowed turf of our former home, Hove Park, for a midweek walking rugby clash against Barns Green and while the final scoreboard read:
Game 1 – 3-3
Game 2 – 3-3
Game 3 – 1-3 (to them)

…the real contest was between the rules of walking rugby and the collective interpretation of "walking."
Let’s just say, if this was the Olympics, several competitors would’ve tested positive for "suspicious speed walking with a hint of gallop."

The biggest talking point of the night: "Are we walking or are we trialling for the 100m sprint?". At one point, a player a foot and a half shorter than our Phil B zipped past like she was late for a train. Another chap was seen covering more ground than a Labrador on Red Bull. If that’s legal, great and we’ll lace up our track spikes next time.

Defensively, Hove showed moments of strength but struggled at times with structure and support. Tracking runners and maintaining shape will be an area to focus on in training. The final game's scoreline reflected some fatigue and a few lapses in marking.

In attack, the team linked up well in patches but often lacked close support to complete behind-the-back passes. Timing and positioning from support players will be an area to develop.

Another grey area was the issue of “normal gait” …with a few players pushing the boundaries by using unusually long strides. It’s a fine balance between walking with intent and slipping into a jog and one that referees need to help manage more clearly.

All in all, solid evening of rugby with promising signs, especially in the opening two matches. If Hove can work on defensive communication, attacking support and collectively understand and agree the walking rules, the team will be well placed to turn draws and losses into wins. Still plenty to be proud of and plenty to build on. Well played, team, especially TT Max (Two Try Max C) - we go again - but next time, maybe we take a GPS tracker!

Interested in joining the might Hove RFC walking rugby team?
Please contact Walking Rugby Manager Max Cooter - walkingrugby@hoverugby.club