A group of people who put in a power of work in at Lochaber RFC and minis player Thora Bennett-Levy had a rugby experience “never to be forgotten” last weekend.
The group of 10 older members from the club were at Murrayfield as part of the ‘Ultimate Guinness Rugby Experience’ alongside members from Uddingston while Thora was a mascot.
They were all up close to the action on the day that Scotland’s men produced an amazing performance to defeat France 50-40 with a bonus point to keep their Six Nations title hopes alive.
Ailsa McAleer from Lochaber rugby club said: “I entered a competition and I won the Ultimate Guinness Rugby Experience for the club.
“I was able to take nine other people so my former team mates Sandra Chisholm, Fiona Turnbull and Fiona Reid joined me along with current club president Gary Hendrie, his wife Mairi Hendrie who has volunteered at the club for years, Stevie McAleer my husband who is the director of youth rugby and youth coaches Blair MacRaild, Marty MacKenna and Ryan Davies.
“When we arrived at Murrayfield we got introduced to Tommy Seymour who asked big Jim Hamilton to show us around the changing room. The kit man then explained a few of the individual requirements of each player on game day and then we got taken down the tunnel into the pitch where we met former France cap Benjamin Kayser who was on media duties. We then got issued with jackets and beanie hats.
“Our prize also including being involved in the pre-match coin toss alongside the team captains and the referee.
“It was Gary and I that were lucky enough to be a part of that and it made what was Gary’s birthday just that little bit better!”
“At half-time we met Ryan Wilson and he chatted us through just how much it meant to players to play for their country and then, after a breathless and very entertaining match, we then had a ‘meet and greet’ with Matt Fagerson and his brother Zander Fagerson who had played in the game and got to catch up with Thora and hear about her day too.
“Matt Fagerson had been the player Thora was with earlier in the day and it was great for them to be able to catch up again also.
“It was a never to be forgotten experience.”
Lochaber’s day out is pictured – thanks to the club