The Warrington Armed Forces Day at Crosfields has grown over recent years into the biggest Armed Forces Day event in the North West of England however this year it seems to have even outgrown itself. With more matches than ever meaning we could no longer fit it into one day, the event started on Friday night with the Army Rugby League Masters taking on a team of Crosfields Legends. Playing full contact over 35's Rugby League this was a game that featured everything you would expect from an Army Rugby League team played with the spirit and camaraderie you would expect from Masters Rugby. Whilst the Army team were bettered by Crosfields 34 -4 it was a fantastic way to kick off the weekend.

As the sun rose over Crosfields on the Saturday morning the crowds started getting in early with the knowledge that 2 games were kicking off before lunchtime! On the back pitch, the UKAF Veterans Masters team took on Folly Lane Masters in what was a fantastic display of Masters Rugby that was a delight to watch.

On the main pitch however, things were a bit more heated as the young guns of the Army Development XIII faced the Royal Marines in a match that you could not take your eyes off. With the Army taking a dominant lead in the first half to go in 24 - 4 up it looked like it was over however the Royal Marines came out all guns blazing. Defending their try line with passion to stop the army extending their lead and attacking with pace and vigour until the end. Unfortunately, 12 unanswered points was not enough and the Army held on for the victory 24 - 16.

Next up was the Regimental grudge match between the Mercian Regiment and The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. From the off, we saw the pace and power that would be on display as the Lancs tore up the pitch to score on the opening set. This trend continued and despite the best efforts of the Mercians, the Lancs were just too powerful and ended up taking the win 38-4.

The final fixture was the 2024 Tom Sephton Trophy between Crosfields ARLFC and the Army Rugby League Senior XIII. One of the most prestigious games in the ARL calendar you could tell on the player's faces just what it meant to be taking part. As referee Tara Jones got things underway the big hits started. The last few meetings between t his team have not gone Crosfields way however this year it became apparent early on that they were not here to allow the Army to march over them again. Huge hit after huge hit was containing the Army’s big runners and the pace out wide meant that the flyers on the wing just couldn’t find the space they needed to get around. Crosfields came into their own in the counter-attack though. Jumping on every mistake the Army made they capitalized on error after error, converting those mistakes into points and taking the win 40 – 14.

The final result may not have gone our way but as always the Warrington Armed Forces day was a fantastic event and a huge thank you to all involved.