VETERAN players at Hindpool Tigers have been rolling back the years during the successful first six months of the club’s Masters section.

The team became the second Masters club in the town after taking to the field against the already-established Barrow side for their first game back in February and since then have travelled to a number of festivals with an ever-growing squad.

Masters is a modified form of rugby league for players aged 35 and over, and Hindpool chairman Graham Shaw – who occasionally turns out for the team – is impressed with the progress they have made in a short pace of time.

“We started up in February and have done really well,” said Shaw. “Teams can often take years to establish themselves and build up enough numbers to take sides away to festivals and compete in their own right, but we are already managing that.

“We have got over 30 guys from the age of 35 up to the age of 60-plus back into this modified form of rugby league, some of them taking to the field for the first time ever, some after up to 30 years out and some like myself who can’t commit to games every week.

“It’s been great for the blokes to get back involved and feel part of a team again, and the camaraderie is excellent.”

There is an active social side to the Tigers’ Masters team too, including sponsoring first-team games, hosting race nights and even helping Barrow AFC’s supporters organise a five-a-side football tournament.

Sponsorship from Escape 2 Travel and Gas South Lakes have helped fund their activities and it is planned any money left over at the end of the season will be donated to charity

“All this means we don’t take money directly from the club, we are totally self-sufficient, but through us sponsoring games and using the bar the club are seeing the benefits of us playing under the Hindpool banner,” said Shaw.

“Although in Masters there is no winners as all games are a 0-0 draw, we recently received team of the day at the Premier Sports North West Festival held in Warrington, which was great for us and showed people were noticing us for the right reasons – and we are really part of the Masters family.”

Training is at Hindpool’s Brisbane Park on Thursdays at 7pm and anyone interested in joining or sponsoring the team should phone 07734 451756 or email hindpooltiger@hotmail.com