Rossall beach hockey was just bonkers

EVERY rugby player at Rossall will at some stage have played Rossall Hockey, a unique version of the game which relies as much on brute strength as stick skill.

It dates back to the 1870s when waterlogged or frozen pitches rendered it impossible to play either rugby or football and the school took full advantage of the beach on its doorstep at Fleetwood where low tide revealed a massive sandy area.

An 80-yard long hockey pitch is marked out on the sand but it’s a much more physical version of the traditional hockey game you will see with packs of warring forwards battling for the ball and making progress upfield with strong surges.

The ball can only be played by a colleague behind you and goals are scored by walking the ball over the line of the designated D. To this day it is a properly codified game like Harrow Football and the Eton Wall game.

“It’s a completely mad game, bonkers, but it was compulsory and we we had inter-house competitions in the Lent term which were always arranged around low tides. It was all taken quite seriously, a school tradition,” says Peter Winterbottom.

“It did seem like a bit of an excuse for some of the rugby types to get some bracing sea air and let some steam off, it wasn’t much like hockey as I know it.

“Each side had eight forwards which was a very rugby-like concept and a few backs, and the forwards basically hunted as a pack and went at each other hacking away although technically I’m not sure that was legal. There was plenty of opportunity to cause a bit of damage with the sticks, it could get pretty tasty in there.

“The ball could only be passed backward so the onus on us forwards at all times was to keep charging forwards. I’m not sure I ever did fully understand the rules but it helped keep you fit.”