Unto Us a Star is Born
On his debut at walking rugby, Dave Douglas scored a hat-trick of tries in a game that, while not played at fever pitch, at least reached the level of a nasty cough.

Attendance figures remained the same as last week, if we include Gerald, a rather overweight Labrador. We feel this is reasonable, as his walker said, "Gerald enjoys a good game of rugby." This may also explain their disappearance before the final whistle.

There was a hush around the pitch as the towering figure of Peter Branfield strode onto the field, once more donning his old Wallabies shirt. The Others got off to a strong start, with Tim Silk often sprinting over the line, although most of his tries were disallowed by referee George Loose.

The second quarter was more favourable for the Bibs. Steve "Honey Badger" Heffer waddled over the line to make the score 4–1. Rugby debutant Dave Douglas then scored his first touchdown in the corner.

In the third quarter, the Bibs added more (entirely legal) tries via David Riedel and the deceptively adept Nigel Pawsey. Meanwhile, Tim Silk continued to score disallowed tries, while his teammates Peter Branfield and Vic Nichol each added a legitimate try. Dave Douglas walked in two more for the Bibs.

Entering a tense final quarter worthy of a film script, the score stood at 7–6 in favour of the Others. The Bibs then made a tactical substitution, bringing on Toby Hill, although he quickly dropped out due to a suspected broken fingernail.

In the final moments, plucky septuagenarian Duncan Drye snaked his way to the line with his trademark fluidity, securing a dramatic 7–7 draw.

Special mention must be made of the fine work by referee George Loose. Hampered only by a cursory grasp of the rules and an inability to keep up with this fast-paced game, he directed proceedings admirably from his stationary position on the halfway line.