When a fresh-faced teenager called Robin Tremlett pulled on a rugby jersey in 1986 and joined the men’s team at one of Bristol’s most famous amateur rugby clubs, little did anyone know he was about to embark on a record-breaking career.
But on Saturday, April 1, a full 37 years later, that young 16-year-old is now a 53-year-old veteran who has just notched up his 1,000th game for Broad Plain RFC.
It’s a feat of endurance anyone who has ever played the game can marvel at. The longest career in the professional game would struggle to reach even half that number of appearances - the most capped international player, Wales’ Alun Wyn Jones, has only just surpassed 500 professional appearances for club and country, but few in the professional or amateur game could match Robin Tremlett.
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He began playing for Broad Plain’s junior sides at the age of 12, but as soon as he was old enough, at the age of 16, he was thrust into the men’s side as a nimble outside centre.
On Saturday, he captained the third team at the age of 53 in a home game on a muddy pitch on the banks of the Malago in Bedminster, against a team from Ashby de-la-Zouch in Derbyshire, and said he had loved every minute of it.
After the game, a senior representative from the RFU appeared and presented Mr Tremlett with a special award for his remarkable achievement, and he reflected on his 37 years in men’s rugby.
“I was rubbish when I was 16,” he said. “My brother used to play so that’s why I got into rugby, but my mum was frightened to death that I was going to get hurt. I started playing rugby, and I wasn’t really very good in the beginning, but I just loved it. I loved it and never ever stopped playing,” he added.
Over the years, Robin has played for and captained the first team, the second team and this season for the first time, he’s captained the third team. He started in the backs and was the club’s leading try scorer in those heady days in the late 1980s.
“At the moment I play second row, hooker or prop,” he said. “I used to play in the backs, at centre, but obviously because of age, you get closer and closer in towards the slow ones,” he laughed. “When I was about 18, 19, 20 I was the leading try scorer in the club. A few people over the years have said that I could have, but I just love the club and I just wanted to stay here,” he explained.
One of the reasons why he’s been able to carry on for so long has been his luck with injuries. In a strong, heavy contact sport, injuries are a given, but Robin has remained remarkably fit and healthy. “I’ve been very lucky. I’ve torn two hamstrings, popped my bicep and lost a few teeth at the front, and been knocked out, which I had to have a two week lay off period, but other than that, nothing major,” he explained.
Back in the mid-1980s rugby was a very different game and there have been huge rule changes governing tackles, scrums, mauls, rucks, offsides and general contact that seem to change every year - although Robin said he doesn’t really keep up with that. “I just turn up on the Saturday and play, regardless of what changes they’ve made to the rules,” he said “I just love the enjoyment, the camaraderie you have with all your friends. I’ve met some absolutely amazing people over the years, and a couple I’m still playing with from back in the day.”
He’s also been lucky with work - as an HGV driver, he’s managed to keep working in jobs that give him weekends off, to keep turning out for Broad Plain.
He ranks his best performance in a Broad Plain shirt as one from just a couple of years ago - and it was a team performance with him at the heart of it. “Our second team was absolutely flying and we played North Bristol, but we were 19-0 down and thought there’s no way we’re coming back from this. We turned it around at half time and won 34-19. It was just the momentum, the second team players we had a few old heads and a few young heads and everyone knew how to adapt and just play for each other,” he added.
And over the 37 years and 1,000 games, he’s been a gentleman on the pitch, only being sent off just the once, and now, with the benefit of hindsight, he admits he did probably deserve it. “Only once I was sent off,” he said. “It was for punching somebody…not just once but several times. That was against Clifton 2nds,” he added.
For the other members of the club, Robin has been an ever-present part of the furniture, and a driving force behind the continued growth and success of the club on and off the pitch.
“Since Robin made his senior debut in 1986, he has been a rock of Broad Plain Rugby and a relentless competitor,” said Francesco Andres, from Broad Plain RFC.
“He has been an ever present leader within the club and has been at the forefront for some of our most successful spells, including being second team captain during our 2015-2017 unbeaten run.
“Robin started playing senior rugby at the age of 16 and has played consistently for 37 seasons, featuring prominently for our first and second team, and being the first club player to captain all three senior XVs,” he added. “Robin has not just been a key part of the playing team as he has also coached two junior teams through to men’s rugby, including his very own sons who he has been able to play senior rugby with.
“This remarkable achievement has blown away all records here at Broad Plain and we’re all incredibly proud to play alongside him,” he added.
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