Last updated 12:00, Thursday, 10 April 2008

The Cumbrian Rams have been proving for over 30 years that there’s plenty of rugby life left after the serious stuff has been kicked into touch!

Now the team, which is made-up of players over the age of 35 – and substantially beyond –- has been picked out for a special RFU President’s award.

The 15 winners were chosen from clubs using the most innovative ideas to meet the Community Rugby themes of More People, Better Places, Access for All and Enjoyment.

As far as the Rams are concerned, their community involvement started seven years ago when it was decided to raise money for various local charities.

Almost £40,000 will have been raised in that time for such charities as the West Cumbria Hospice, the Eden Valley Hospice, Cancer Research UIK, British Heart Foundation, the Air Ambulance and others.

This season alone the Cockermouth-based Rams have collected over £5,000 and have another fund-raising game planned in a month’s time at Keswick for the Cottage Hospital appeal.

A total of 168 players have represented the Rams since the first game in September 1977 against a Carlisle senior XV.

It was all the brainchild of Cockermouth stalwart John Cusack, pictured, who at 35 saw his first team days slipping away, and still wanted to play his rugby – but in a cavalier fashion.

“I was never one for kicking the ball. I would always prefer to run than kick it.

I’m sure Webb Ellis didn’t pick the ball and run with it because he wanted to kick.

“I got the idea of getting lads together who I had enjoyed playing with, and also against, in my career for Carlisle, Cockermouth and Wigton. They were all my age or above so the over-35’s Rams team was born.

“Because of my aversion to kicking the ball the only stipulation was that tactic was banned. If anyone did that they had to buy a jug of ale after the game.

“As the years rolled by the tradition stuck but now the unfortunate kickers have to supply a bottle of port. I don’t know whether that’s a price thing, or an age thing.

“The thing is we have our very own Rams label and now that we raise money for charity we auction-off bottles of port and any popular shirts and rugby balls we can get hold of.

“The charity aspect has been good.

“We decided to do that about seven years ago and the response has been fantastic. It’s not something we shout about but it’s rather nice to have been honoured in this way by the RFU President.”

Inner City missionaries, recruitment campaigners and experts in electronic communication were among those rewarded in this season’s President’s XV awards.

The second season of the recognition awards duly saw entries rocket from 66 to 158 and clubs from Cockermouth in Cumbria to Stonehouse in Devon were rewarded.

The awards were made by a panel of seven judges which included RFU President Bob Taylor, Junior Vice President John Owen from Shap and England’s most-capped player Jason Leonard.

The 13 winners will pick up £500 each and 18 runners-up will collect £100 each, totalling £10,000 of investment in the grassroots game.

A special presentation is to be made in the Cockermouth clubhouse on Friday, May 9.

Cusack, whose family line goes back to the legendary Jim Brough, says: “It’s great out there when you have a few players in their 40s, a few more in their 50s and the odd one or two in their 60s still enjoying the game of rugby.

“You might think a few kicks for touch would help now and again in such company but these guys all enjoy the running game.

“I know that quite a few of the lads are so pleased they can still play the game and realise a team like the Rams has extended their careers by about 15 years or more.”

Cusack intends to keep playing as long as he possibly can but when the day finally comes for him to hang up those boots his legacy will live on because the Rams is established in Cumbria rugby union circles as indelibly as any of the major clubs.