ANDOVER Rugby Club Veterans ended their season with a unique and entertaining game against a visiting Japanese side.

Andover’s rejuvenated veterans side were honoured to entertain the visiting Kajima Old Boys, who flew in from Japan especially for the occasion.

The team had long harboured the ambition to travel to England to play a game of rugby before the retirement of some of their players.

Via an old connection with Andover stalwarts Andy Earle and John Crozier, Andover was the club chosen for their visit.

The occasion drew a large crowd to the Charlton Sports Pitches, where spectators witnessed two teams of club legends do battle in an entertaining game played in a fine spirit.

Finlay Waite did a great job, in his first outing as referee, to produce a flowing game in which players came and went with stunning regularity, with many appearing for both teams.

Andover legend Johnny Rowe started for the Japanese team who were soon under pressure from Andover.

A Paul Pereira cross kick gave Matthew ‘Zoe’ Ball the chance to give Andover the lead with a converted try, before Andy Waite found himself in a position to take a scoring pass from Sam Froggett and fall over the line for a try.

Chris Reilly was next to go over, before Jason Corney grabbed Andover’s final score of the day.

Kajima, reinforced handsomely by the home side, did not give up Players from both Andover Vets and Kajima Old Boys pose for a photograph after the game and with Froggett and Ball dominating for the visitors, came back hard at Andover scoring three tries with one conversion.

Gordon Mitchell and Keith Mitchell however combined to set Shane Corocoran free for what should have been the clinching score, but the home forward sprinted into a heavily disguised post and dropped the ball to the huge amusement of all.

At the final whistle the two teams retired to the Charlton Royal Oak, where the visitors honoured Andover with a traditional ceremony involving the breaking of a barrel of Sake.