World Cup fever still sweeping Old Hales

The club, whose first team play in National League Three Midlands, are enjoying a boom period with over 250 members now involved at the Wassell Grove-based side.

And the set-up, based close to the picturesque Clent Hills near Stourbridge and Halesowen, is praised for its visual beauty with Hagley Hill and Wychbury Hill both shadowing the ground.

The mini and junior sections have seen a remarkable rise since the tournament came to an end, with around 70 new members joining the club.

Club official Mark Jackson is seeing first-hand just what sort of effect that a landmark event can have on grassroots sport, with the club keen to attract even more interest to their burgeoning membership.

"Rugby is a game that you either love or you hate," said Jackson.

"You can't force people to play it. They have to want to put their body on the line.

"I think that it is the best team sport in the world.

"We've had such a rise in the wake of the World Cup.

"People that are getting back into the sport and those that have never played it before are all trying out."

As with any local amateur club, word of mouth remains vital, but for Old Hales the word passes between generations seamlessly in a smooth cycle.

That is highlighted perfectly by the fact that Jackson's three-year-old granddaughter Evelyn is the latest to join up to the club's 'micro' section of three to six-year-olds.

He added: "We have a big family involvement.

"There are a lot of us who have played for the club at first, second or third team level and got a bit older, but our sons have wanted to take it on.

"Now those lads are coaching and watching their sons or grandsons play for us.

"It can be a real family affair."

The club have teams, beginning with the micros,who play tag just to get used to the cold climate, that play at every age group up until 17, where they join the colts side until they reach 19.

Former players, including Tony Crocombe (under-17s coach and treasurer), Rob and Chris Bryant (under-12s), Mat Colman (under-11s), Adam Wilkinson (under-9s and former first team skipper), John Wragg (under-15s), Stewart Braddock (under-14s) and Mat Williams (under-16s) all look after youth sides at Old Hales.

Wayne Chance, the current colts coach, recently played in a senior game with both sons Rob, 18, and Joe, 20.

While 22-year-old former colts star and now second team member Louis Madican is in charge of the micro coaching.

"I went down to Twickenham for the England v Australia match and the atmosphere was spine-tingling," Jackson said.

"It made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. But I was extremely disappointed with the team's lacklustre performance, they weren't willing to put their bodies on the line.

"While we haven't seen that influx at senior rugby, the World Cup has definitely helped our youth section – and they all seem to be sticking with it."