Hundreds turn out for rugby day to celebrate the memory of 'gentle giant' Will Rogers

Shropshire Star

We travel to Bridgnorth Rugy Club, former club of Will Rogers who was killed in a Hit and Run. Today they held some special games that were played in tribute to Will.

Transcript

00:00So we're here at Bridge North Rugby Club and a lovely tribute game about to take place,

00:05paying tribute to a former Bridge Hill player, Will, and Mandy, that was your lad.

00:09Sadly no longer with us.

00:10And we'll chat to a couple of the players first, because they know they've got to get off and do their thing.

00:15The two lads playing for Riley's Tops, we've got James Riley and we've got Muffin Top, who's also called...

00:21Right.

00:21Cool. And lads, tell us a little bit about Will then. He was a lovely chap by all accounts, wasn't he?

00:27Yeah, a gentle giant as well. On the pitch he was a giant and strong, old-school rugby.

00:33Then off the pitch he was a completely soft bloke. Couldn't do more for you.

00:38He really was just a bloke that you want to be a part of.

00:42And James, you played with him for a few years, was it?

00:45Yeah, yeah. And the seniors, it was my probably first couple of seasons,

00:50he would kind of play a bit of two's rugby, but also a bit of threes.

00:54And he was, you know, a bit too good to be in our third team, to be honest.

00:59So, yeah, he was just a really big character.

01:02As Muffin said, just a really gentle guy, really lovely fellow.

01:06And it's, you know, sadly this one.

01:08And is today all about paying tribute, or are you here for the win?

01:13I suppose somewhat here for the win.

01:15It's all about rugby. Rugby wins today.

01:18Rugby is the winner.

01:19Will was a very big believer that it wasn't so much about reasoning.

01:23It was just about getting together and having a laugh.

01:26Yeah.

01:26Enjoying spending time with people that you don't get to see all the time.

01:29Yeah.

01:30When you see them week in, week out.

01:32During the summer, this is when everyone sort of falls apart.

01:36Because you just don't see your friends.

01:38Because everyone, summer comes in, rugby starts.

01:41So to try and get another reason to play rugby in the summer.

01:44Yeah.

01:44And Will would have been awful.

01:46It's either, you know.

01:47Yeah.

01:48Well, Riley's top.

01:49So I'll let you two lads clear off.

01:50Because I know you'll be kicking off shortly.

01:52And I'll collar Mandy for a bit more.

01:54So Mandy, let's bring you over here just a little bit out of the wind.

01:59So Mandy, this is the trophy.

02:01The special trophy that's...

02:02Great stuff.

02:04So, we don't want to...

02:07You know, this is a day to celebrate and remember, Will.

02:10But you lost Will how long ago now?

02:13It was just over three years ago.

02:15He was killed by a hit-and-run driver.

02:17Yeah.

02:18Yeah, basically ran him over and left him to die.

02:22Did they find the driver?

02:24Three local men caught the driver the week after.

02:27Yeah.

02:29Yeah.

02:30He, from what we gather, got no intentions of handing himself in.

02:33And by the time he got to court, he said he thought Will was a badger.

02:38And Will was six foot tall and he was in his chest.

02:40That's a big badger, isn't it?

02:41I would hate to meet a badger that size.

02:43Yeah, yeah.

02:44He went on to get a £95 line for a farming wheel.

02:48Yeah.

02:48And a four-month driving ban for his inconsideration to other road users.

02:53Yeah.

02:53Who may also run over the same debris.

02:55Yeah.

02:56Just in front of them.

02:57So that's, I mean, that must play a strong part in the difficulty of trying to deal with

03:04that happening to you as a mother and a, you know.

03:06With me, that's my sticking point.

03:08Yeah.

03:09If that individual had stopped, we might have been thanking him.

03:13Yeah.

03:14He couldn't have saved Will from the injuries that Will had sustained.

03:17Yeah.

03:17But if he'd have stopped, we may have been thanking him.

03:21Yeah.

03:22As it is.

03:24I don't know what I've got to say here.

03:25Yeah, yeah, yeah.

03:27Just come with the air.

03:28Yeah, yeah.

03:29So we're here to, you know, pay tribute to him and remember him.

03:33And the lads there were just chatting very fondly about him.

03:36Yeah.

03:36He obviously made a big impression on a lot of people, didn't he?

03:39Everywhere he went.

03:40I mean, he's been in New Zealand sheep shearing because he's a sheep shearer.

03:44Oh, OK.

03:44So it's like at his celebration, like 500 people were stood there.

03:50Yeah.

03:50And it was, you know, from all walks of life, all ages, but they all loved Will.

03:56Yeah.

03:56He was one of those.

03:57He walked through the door and he was just like golden.

03:59Yeah.

03:59Not goldy.

04:00Golden aura and he was just a golden.

04:02Lit up the room kind of character.

04:04Yeah, yeah, yeah.

04:05Everybody knew he was here.

04:06But the thing about Will, he didn't know it.

04:09Yeah.

04:09He really, really didn't know it.

04:11Yeah.

04:11Today, he wouldn't believe that everybody's here for him.

04:14Yeah.

04:14He really, really wouldn't believe that.

04:16Yeah.

04:16Well, let's hope, you know, that he's looking down upon us, really.

04:20Yeah.

04:20So this was three, how many years ago, do you say so?

04:23It was three years ago.

04:24So it's, how many tribute games have we had here?

04:29About four.

04:30Have you?

04:30Yeah, the first year.

04:31So it's becoming like a proper annual fixture.

04:33Yeah.

04:33And each year we do it a bit different.

04:35Yeah, yeah.

04:35We're raising funds for Tough Enough to Care.

04:38Yeah.

04:38Who are Tough Enough to Care then?

04:40Well, Tough Enough to Care, I'm not 100% sure on all the details of it.

04:45Yeah, yeah.

04:46It's promoting mental health for players, veterans, and it's giving them the opportunity

04:55to know that there is somebody they can talk to, because men generally don't tend to, you

05:00know, they don't tend to talk.

05:02Yeah, yeah.

05:02But it's very, very important that they do.

05:05Yeah.

05:05And wills, I will talk to them.

05:07Again, lots of farmers spend a long time on their own.

05:10Yes.

05:11Well, apparently, it's one of the, in terms of careers, it's one of the highest rates of

05:17suicide, so I've heard, actually, which I was surprised to find that out.

05:22But yeah, I guess if you're in that world, that perhaps doesn't surprise you, you know.

05:26Yeah.

05:27Luckily, he will have got his music.

05:28So he could be doing 16 hours, 24 hours, he's got his music, he's always got his music.

05:33What sort of music was he into then?

05:35He's got a very broad range, but he liked the modern country and western music.

05:38Oh, well, okay, cool.

05:39Yeah, yeah.

05:40Like, we've openly spoke about death, because Will had a very, very traumatic accident two

05:46years previous.

05:47Yeah.

05:47Which left him in a coma and with a mental pain, which stopped.

05:51Wow.

05:52Yeah, yeah.

05:53And I remember just the week before he was killed, he said that there was a song that

05:59he liked when he wanted it at his funeral.

06:01Yeah.

06:01That's called Drink a Beer.

06:03Wow.

06:03But he also told us about another one, Give Heaven Some Health.

06:06Yeah.

06:07So they were part of his celebration.

06:10Yeah, yeah.

06:11So that was a tough gig for him to lose his playing of rugby.

06:15Yeah, and again, we're tough enough to care for him.

06:17Yeah.

06:18It's like, Will, again, because you look at these rugby players and farmers, it's like

06:22they're the big rub tough.

06:23Yeah.

06:24But they take everybody else's problems.

06:26But yeah, Will, I wouldn't say he suffered mentally, mentally, but he definitely suffered

06:34from not being able to play.

06:35Yeah.

06:36It was his will.

06:37Yeah, well, these clubs, it's, I mean, one, they're out there doing the sport, but actually

06:43there's this massive other social side to it, family side, isn't there, you know?

06:47It's all about family.

06:48Yeah, yeah.

06:49All about family.

06:49Without Bridge on the Club, I wouldn't be here today.

06:52Yeah.

06:52I really wouldn't be here today.

06:53Yeah, yeah.

06:54It's just been amazing.

06:56Yeah.

06:56It's Will.

06:57And then like, right there from Riley Tops, like, they played with Will, so they were

07:01dead keen to get in here and play.

07:03And then from that, obviously, we've got the uniforms, and I've met a lot of the lads this

07:08morning.

07:08It's just amazing.

07:09Yeah.

07:10Absolutely amazing.

07:11Well, we're very grateful to be invited down to cover the event, and let's let the games

07:20commence and pay tribute to your lad, Will.

07:22Definitely.

07:54Nick!

07:55Right, you're left.

07:56You're left.

07:58Woo.

08:02Let's come back.

08:04Come back!

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