My Rugby Times
Rob Trewhella (View From The Hill )

I live in the past when it comes to my sporting life. I know its wrong, but when you still hanker to play the game that you love in your mid 50s (I know there are vets etc, but I waddle rather than sprint nowadays).

I still like to remember the days when I played on the wing until anno domini caught me, and dumped me into touch.

I started playing when I was at Lescudjack School, coached by John Thomas, Peter Marks and sometimes J.R (Taffy) Owens. Mr Thomas called me “Basket” as I needed one to catch the ball!

I caught it once and ran as fast as I could into the corner, sliding in from about 5 yards out.

The team I played in included Peter “Puggy” Trudgeon who not only graced the Mennaye but also Camborne and Cornwall.

When I was 13, the All Blacks captained by Sid Going appeared in Penzance. They were to play Devon & Cornwall at Redruth and based themselves at the Queens Hotel I believe and used the Mennaye for training.

I wondered into the ground one day and was hooked. These legends of the game in front of me.

Joe Karam kicking goal after goal from the half way line, Sid Going, one of the all time greats. My hero, Grant Batty. This was the team that was to feature in the game at Cardiff against the Barbarians, with the famous Gareth Edwards try, and Batty scored on of his own.

I was given a ticket to the Redruth game and sat on the grass between the perimeter barrier and the touchline. Whereas I had started playing, seeing these legends, on both sides including our own Stack Stevens, instilled in me a love of the game that is still with me today.

I was first approached to play for Mounts Bay Colts, I think by Peter Marks. They were short of players for a game against Plymouth Albion Colts away. I was 15. We lost 71-0. And we played somewhere away from Beacon Park.

The Pirates Chiefs were playing Albion 1st XV and we shared the bus. I remember after the game going to see a film with Johnny Cash and I think Bob Dylan about Billy the Kid.

I was such a babyface I couldn`t get served in the pubs. I remember having to be at Bretonside Bus Station at midnight for the trip to back to Penzance. We boarded the coach and then the Chiefs arrived, they frightened the life out of me. Singing, laughing, they must have won.

Going across the Tamar Bridge, Mickey James was adding to the depth of the river below, and a colt, who had managed to get some beer, vomited over Mickeys back, I don`t think either realised what happened until they woke up the next morning.

I believe George “Bosun” James, had a bad headache the next day, but that’s another story.

I played for the colts for a few seasons, but not on a regular basis, there was competition for places, and of course there were no replacements in those days.

I ended up playing for Cornwall Tech when I had left school, Mike Buzza the coach, Saturday mornings at Tech and afternoons for the Colts. The tech team went unbeaten, and I was asked if I would be interested going on tour to Wales with Hayle Colts.

Why not, sounded fun. Got transferred, and off I went.

I scored the winning try at Blackwood, we drew at Monmouth and got stuffed by Abergavenny (we were now regular drinkers) The team included Neil Irish, Paddy Trathen, a couple of Hurrells, Ginger Hocking, Pat Rescorla and Dave O Mahoney.

I stayed with Hayle and eventually played for their 1 st XV, Robbie Trathen, Mick Mills, Gary Trewartha, David “Farmer” Hosking. And then in 1976 an injury stopped me in my tracks. I had suffered a dead leg in game, not the first, but this one was different.

Within 6 months I had been diagnosed with a lypo sarcoma in my right thigh. Dr White at Penzance Hospital operated, and after a course of radio therapy at Treliske, was adviced to forget about any contact sport.

I was devastated. I had played a couple of games for Cornwall Colts the season before and had broken into the Chiefs. I stopped playing.

Four years later I went to see my GP Willy Maeckelberghe for a check up and I said that I would like to play again. He said it was down to me. Nuff said.

I was training again on the Mennaye

By this time I was back in Penzance living, so the Tuesday after my visit to the docs I was training again on the Mennaye, never thinking that I would play for Penzance & Newlyn 1 st XV. But I did, not sure how many times, I also turned out for the 2nds and the 3rds. Scored some tries, again not sure how many and played in many a fierce merit table game against St Ives, Redruth, Camborne Penryn etc.

I remember beating Plymouth Albion when Roger Lane was coaching us, they didn`t even come into the club afterwards.

The people I played with, to many to remember and to mention, but Dymond, Drew, Pascoe, Greaves, Reynolds, Stevens, Heale, Briant, Walton, Eliott, Blewett, Westren, and many many others.

I ruptured my Achilles tendon in a 2ndXV game, that was the end of my carerer with the Pirates, I eventually played a season for St Just, and then moved to Millbrook near Torpoint, played for St Columba, and when I did some filming for Westcountry TV, persuaded Albion to let me play for their reserves in return for a film crew turning up. My last game of rugby was for Marlborough, I had moved that way and I was the club coach. I played half a game at full back and that was that.

When Dickie took things forward, being an exile, it gave me such a buzz to see the Pirates on the teletext results, and what is going on now is just amazing.

My father George, Celebrating The EDf Trophy Win With Jan Harvey

My father, George (ex butcher) is a season ticket holder and loves his Sundays at the Mennaye. Long may the journey continue.

"Oh and by the way, I still have my boots if you are short of a winger!"

Rob Trewhella

View From The Hill

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