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Sean wants to play again!

A 70-YEAR-OLD Dumfries rugby player is desperate to pull on his boots again this season after making an appearance for Dumfries Saints’ 2nd XV earlier this month

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By Zac Hannay
Sport
Sean wants to play again!

After leaving his contact details with the club president, should they be in need of an extra man, Sean Wood was not expecting to receive a call up just seven days later.

Despite his age, he held his own in the 2nd XV’s fixture against Hillhead Jordanhill at Park Farm earlier this month.

Sean said: “I went about three weeks ago and I spoke to the president and said – look you know in the winter you’re going to need a prop when it’s really bad weather and you get call-offs.

“I didn’t expect to get the call quite so soon, it was the week after!

“I expected to get a call on a wet day in January, but I went, bought new boots in Dumfries, walked out on to the pitch and the referee says – is it true you’re 70? I said – How did you know?

“I live outside of Dumfries in the middle of nowhere and my next door neighbour is a farmer and he was playing in the same team and he’d already told them. He had a big smile on his face!

“I’m a loosehead prop so I don’t get around the park as much as I used to do. But I’m still very strong, so in the front row in the scrum I take some shifting.

“My opposite number was a tighthead prop, I think he was about 20-years-old. From north Derbyshire,

Sean moved to Dumfries and Galloway earlier this year and was full of praise for the welcome he received by the Saints.

He said: “The club have been absolutely fantastic, I felt like I was coming home. But most rugby clubs are like that, you just turn up, say hello and the next thing is everybody knows you.”

Sean added: “I’ve been playing prop-forward for nearly 50 years. “I’m hoping for maybe a cameo role on Saturday. I know they’ve got a lot of players for Saturday, so it’s not like they’ll be short. I’ll carry the water bucket!”