Legends to come out in force for Mangan match

A HOST of big names will take part in the first ever Stuart Mangan Memorial match between England and Ireland Legends at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, February 26 – the night before the countries meet in the Six Nations at Twickenham.

The match, sponsored by the Byrne Group, is in aid of the Matt Hampson Trust and Keith Wood’s Paralysed Rugby Players’ Fund in Ireland.

England’s team will be led by former captain Martin Corry, and will include several members of the 2003 World Cup winning team, including their most-capped player, Jason Leonard. Other heroes of 2003 set to take part are Josh Lewsey, Neil Back, Mike Catt, Paul Grayson, Mark Regan and Dorian West. They’ll be joined by other recent internationals like Tim Stimpson, Darren Garforth, Garath Archer, Phil Greening and Nick Greenstock.

Ireland’s team will be led by Shane Byrne and will include Mick Galwey, Peter Clohessy, Reggie Corrigan, Victor Costello, Trevor Brennan, Derek McAleese, Maurice Field, John O’Neill, Justin Bishop and the evergreen Rob Henderson – a 2001 Lion, who’s still playing club rugby.

Matt Hampson has won a legion of admirers for the courageous way — to use the words from his favourite film, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ — he has ‘got busy living’, after being paralysed in a training accident with the England Under-21 team, in March, 2005.

The teams will play for the Stuart Mangan Memorial Trophy. Fermoy, County Cork-born Stuart was just 26 when he passed away on August 7 after suffering the worst possible spinal injury while playing for Hammersmith and Fulham RFC in London in April, 2008.

After spending seven months in hospital, he returned to his specially adapted flat in Bayswater, and resumed life. Like Matt Hampson, he never allowed his injury to affect his love for rugby and life. When he died unexpectedly, he was full of plans for the future.

The game will be refereed by former international referee Tony Spreadbury, who was overseeing the training session in which Matt suffered his injury.

It’s planned to make the fixture an annual event, and plans are already under way for the return match to be played in Dublin.

Tickets cost £10, concessions £5 and are now on sale from the following website www.englandirelandlegends.co.uk