Sportsman - RL interview with Martin Coyd (Army)

[Lowdesert]

Good interview.  I hope The Sportsman continue with these.

 

[Stirlin]

To say that RL was banned in the forces is untrue , yes you were probably not allowed to play the game in the Army but this was not the case in the Senior Service the Royal Navy.

September 1973 I played left centre for Southwick Division v Trainers while serving at HMS Dryad.

A mixture of Yorkshire/Lancashire/Cumbria RL players and Union Welshmen which was supported by the Physical Training group at the base , one of which played and another reffed the game.

After I left the base the PT group organised other games , much grumbling from the Union side at Dryad.

[Lowdesert]

18 hours ago, Stirlin said:

To say that RL was banned in the forces is untrue , yes you were probably not allowed to play the game in the Army but this was not the case in the Senior Service the Royal Navy.

September 1973 I played left centre for Southwick Division v Trainers while serving at HMS Dryad.

A mixture of Yorkshire/Lancashire/Cumbria RL players and Union Welshmen which was supported by the Physical Training group at the base , one of which played and another reffed the game.

After I left the base the PT group organised other games , much grumbling from the Union side at Dryad.

Martin mentions this in the interview.  He says that Army personnel were only allowed to play sports that were on their approved list, which, he says, is fair enough.  A soldier getting injured outside of their approved regime is detracting from what they are there for, which is defence.

In the video he says ‘removing a ban...’ to allow them to play is not right.  RL was never banned so it was just a ‘permission’ that was added to the list’.

[Phil]

There were quite a few “unofficial” RL games played, there were at least three between the Duke of Wellington’s Reg’t and (I believe) The Lancashire Fusiliers 

[Stirlin]

4 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

Martin mentions this in the interview.  He says that Army personnel were only allowed to play sports that were on their approved list, which, he says, is fair enough.  A soldier getting injured outside of their approved regime is detracting from what they are there for, which is defence.

In the video he says ‘removing a ban...’ to allow them to play is not right.  RL was never banned so it was just a ‘permission’ that was added to the list’.

It was the same for the RN but as Phil points out '' unofficial '' games were played.

[Lowdesert]

2 hours ago, Phil said:

There were quite a few “unofficial” RL games played, there were at least three between the Duke of Wellington’s Reg’t and (I believe) The Lancashire Fusiliers 

Indeed.  Thanks Phil.  Really hope the game continues to develop in the Forces.