Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
06
Oct
‘You don’t stop playing because you get old’ - Harrogate Pythons player, 44, on 150 club appearances
An Edinburgh-born man has played his 150th game for Harrogate Pythons Rugby Club.
Forty-four-year-old Russel ‘Rusty’ Robertson - as his teammates call him, for his annoying playstyle and ginger hair - achieved the feat on Saturday, September 20.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret this week, he said:
It’s just an amazing milestone to hit in your career. I have to do a lot of my own work to maintain fitness at this age, but the coaching staff at Pythons are brilliant too. They help a lot.
Growing up in Tranent, a small town just East of Edinburgh, Robertson was originally a footballer, playing for various local clubs as a child. He didn’t play rugby until he was 17.
His first taste of Rugby Union came in a seniors vs teachers match at school in June 1998. After his first game, he quickly converted to rugby.
The prop played at under-18s level for a year before moving to senior rugby. He joined his local club, Ross High RUFC, in 2000 and stayed there for a decade.
Russel Robertson (back row, second from right) during his school's seniors vs teachers game in 1998.
In 2010, Robertson moved to Harrogate for work. There he found Harrogate Pythons, for whom he has played ever since. He said that joining the club is one of the best things he’s done since moving from Scotland.
The 44-year-old said that from the minute he joined, he was made to feel welcome by everyone at the club. 15 years later, and he’s made friends for life. One of his teammates was an usher at his wedding.
Having been there so long, Robertson told the Stray Ferret how he’s seen the club change:
I’ve been involved in every promotion season that we’ve played, from Yorkshire [division] Four to [division] One. When I first joined, we didn’t have a coach. Now, we’ve got loads.
Harrogate Pythons now have a team of nine coaches.
Robertson (scrum cap) carries the ball forwards.
So, what are Robertson’s fondest moments in a Pythons shirt?
He said:
My 150th appearance was up there. I led the seconds out as captain, and we beat Ripon 50-0. It’s always nice to win a local derby.
Also, going back a long time, our last game in Yorkshire [division] Four was a memorable one. We played Knaresborough, and needed to win for promotion. We ended up beating them 69-0.
Even at 44, Robertson still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Last season, the prop played every game for the Harrogate Pythons first team – a feat that only one other player achieved.
For his impressive performances, he was also awarded captain’s player of the year and clubman of the year.
Robertson jumps for the ball during a line-out.
How much longer can Robertson keep going, then? He said:
Until I know I can’t do it anymore. My next target is 200 games, but I honestly think I can get to 300. I’ve had injuries that have put me out for the best part of a year in my late thirties, but I’ve come back from them.
I was only recently tried out as a prop, and I’ve been given a new lease of life in that position. My saying is that you don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing.
Robertson said that once he thinks about retiring, he will ‘definitely’ be looking into coaching, but admitted that he is not ready for that yet. He added that, in the future, he hopes that that can be with the Pythons.
The prop said that the goal for both teams this year is to finish in the top four.
With high ambitions and a strong club structure, Harrogate Pythons are evolving into an increasingly attractive club. There is little doubt that Robertson will be part of that for years to come.
0