Belles of the maul dress up for finale
YOU could have been fooled for thinking it was a posh affair when 30 women, all dressed in ball gowns, lined up in the hallway of the Alhambra Union Rugby Football Club on Saturday.
But when they ran out on to the field in rugby boots instead of expensive heels, and mouth guards instead of jewellery, it was clear the event was neither posh nor elegant.
While it was a sight to behold, club chairman Gary Wheeler said it was also a novel way to celebrate the last game of the 2018 club rugby season.
‘‘It’s a fitting end to the season as well as those ugly prom dresses that they never wanted to wear again.’’
The dresses did not fare well after two halves of tackling, scrummaging and rucking.
It was a competitive, noholdsbarred game, but it did not matter who won in the end, he said. The event was all about creating a fun spectacle.
Even referee Geoff Simons got into the spirit by wearing a sexy thinstrapped red number that clashed ‘‘only slightly’’ with his blue socks and rugby boots.
The game was followed by the Island of Origin men’s game, in which club members from the south competed against members from the north — in just plain old shorts and rugby jersey.
Mr Wheeler said the posh part of the day happened later when the players cleaned up and dressed in their best for the club’s prizegiving and dinner.