THEY had to borrow two opposition players and a set of shirts when they first ran out to play rugby 50 years ago.Now in their 60s and 70s, the former members of a town's rugby club can no longer sprint or dive over for a touch-down.

THEY had to borrow two opposition players and a set of shirts when they first ran out to play rugby 50 years ago.

Now in their 60s and 70s, the former members of a town's rugby club can no longer sprint or dive over for a touch-down.

But one thing they have not lost is the ability to have a good time together.

More than 50 members of Diss Rugby Club attended a reunion celebration, downing a few drinks and a good meal and reminiscing about the matches in which they had played.

Ten of the 15 players who took to the field in the club's first fixture in 1958/9 were at the reunion, held at the club headquarters at Roydon.

Earlier, some of them had met in the Two Brewers pub in Diss where the club had been founded half a century before.

Oldest member of the original team at the reunion was former club captain, Ned Cordingley, 79, who lived at Mellis in the 1950s but has now moved to Eye.

He said: “In our time we played rugger to get fit. You have to get fit to play rugger now - it has all got more serious than when we started but the same good atmosphere prevails.”

Youngest of the veterans from the first team photograph to attend the event was Peter Bobby, 65, whose home is now in Colchester but who was a local lad of 16 when he first turned out for the club.

Chris Wyatt, 70, also a member of the original team and still involved in running the club, said many of the founding players were involved in farming or associated businesses.

“The club has gone from strength to strength. We can put out four senior sides on a regular basis and have seven or eight junior teams,” he said.