When asked about his rugby journey, Mark didn’t leave out any detail! You can see Mark’s Colts England top in the Players’ Bar at the club. Thank you to Mark for taking the time to indulge us in his rugby career and for all his hard work with the U10’s.

“I played minis and juniors through the Penrith section coached by greats such as Bert McClellan, Dave Bainbridge, Bert Brench Geoff Matthews, John siddle & Bob Richardson.

I was fortunate to play a lot of youth level representative rugby at different stages in my early career in the good old amateur days, the highlights representing England at colts level in internationals against Italy, Wales, Scotland & France also being selected for the North of England under 21s to play against The mighty New Zealand at the Newcastle Falcons ground (formerly known as Newcastle Gosforth) was a particularly fond memory although we got spanked!! Team mates in these games included World Cup winners Andy Gomarsall and my back row partner Martin Corry (they obviously did not get coached bad habits off John Siddle).

My senior career started at 17 and took me to Wigton (county champions at the time) for two seasons where I gained life long friends and had a fabulous time, from there I was attracted to Kendal by the late great Pete Kremer and under his guidance enjoyed success in a team that achieved national league status and some big scalps in the national cup competition along the way.

At the ripe old age of 33 I returned to Penrith under Nigel Beaty for the season 2005/2006 and made my long awaited senior league debut for PRUFC and some might say coincidence, but Penrith went on to win the league. This again had special memories as a squad of players all local apart from one, Mr Conrad Janson who all bought in to a plan of being committed both on and off the field. Training was furious and always well attended, competition for places was fierce and this simple formula and a bit of expert guidance from Gordon McClellan and Nigel Beaty resulted in success and a winning team.

Although I will never retire or should I say admit it(?), from that season rugby had to take a back seat due to work commitments. Some years went by and I found myself volunteering for a charity boxing event, in fear of humiliation the training camp was the hardest work I’ve ever put in and after a successful evening it seemed a shame to put all that fitness to waste. So, uninvited I turned back up at Kendal rugby club on a Tuesday night training session having not been near for four or five years in what I think must have been a mid life crisis decision, through a sequence of injuries and illness. I made the first team the following week and the adrenaline that day was unreal because I wanted to prove that I could still perform and add to the team, I did not want to just be a passenger.

Some years on at the age of 44 (still not retired), big Dave Preston gave me the call on a Friday evening that Penrith were short. Even though I had not played a game of any description for 5 years, I jumped at the chance to again feel that adrenaline buzz. I loved every minute although I was still playing 1990’s rules and got a broken arm for good measure!!

These rugby days are now devoted to my son Robbie and his mates for Penrith under 10’s and can’t believe the new friends I’ve met through the teams’ parents. I have again had the fire lit in my belly in the quest through my team for success both on and off the field which will be built on the back of hard work as an old coach of mine said ‘the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary’! So watch this space!”