The result wasn’t the important part — tonight was about taking all the hard work from pre-season training onto the pitch, getting valuable minutes into the squad and playing rugby again. That said, the Gold & Blue came away victorious!

A special thank you to Martin Nailor, who came along expecting to watch the rugby and enjoy a social evening, but answered the call when needed, pulled the whistle from his pocket and stepped up to referee the game.

And what a backdrop for the return of rugby.

As the rain poured, a fantastic crowd cheered from the touchline, thunder rolled and lightning flashed across the distant horizon. But the real stars of the evening were on the pitch, with both squads producing a fully committed and competitive performance.

After the long wait, it was simply great to see players back on the field and supporters back on the touchline.

Rugby was definitely the winner.

The Gold & Blue are back.