The 800 club
AS THEY emerge from the changing block, laughter erupts from the mouths of all observers. The trio of Frampton Cotterell players were clearly aiming for this reaction when they opted to pull shirts numbered 15, 13 and 11 over their middle-aged frames. These days none of them would wear a shirt number higher than eight in a match, but for this Rugby World photo shoot they wanted to raise a few smiles, with the skintight material – a sharp contrast to the heavy cotton jerseys they wore when starting out – riding up over a couple of bellies.
“I can’t breath,” says one.
“It’s like a corset,” says another.
Once they have changed into better-fitting shirts, our photographer offers a little direction, saying, “Chin up.” The guys quip, “Which one?!”
The laughter continues throughout the few hours Rugby World spends at Frampton Cotterell RFC. After all, Tim Phillips, Mike Weaver and Peter Zaffiro have been involved in the club since the Seventies and have each played more than 800 senior matches in Frampton colours, so they have plenty of
