Burton turns 70 in style

While there are no strict guidelines on how one should celebrate a 70th birthday, it is safe to assume that not many would choose to take part in a full-contact, 15-a-side rugby match.

But that was the desire of Bahrain’s ‘Grandfather of Rugby’ Mike Burton, and for anyone who knows him, that will come as no surprise whatsoever.

Burton is now out on his own as the oldest contact rugby player in the Gulf and he takes great pride in that status.

A Bahrain resident of more than 25 years, Burton was instrumental in setting up the Bahrain RFC Golden Oldies as the first regular-playing veterans’ (over 35s) team in the region in 1992.

Twenty-two years on and he remains the captain and driving force behind one of the most active teams at the club, with regular tournaments and fixtures against visiting military sides. To celebrate his milestone birthday, Burton will field two teams for an exhibition match at the club from 2pm this Friday.

The teams will consist of regular Bahrain Golden Oldies, a host of players from around the Gulf and further afield, who are travelling to Bahrain especially for the event, as well as representatives of the locally-based NSA Bucks.

There have been some quiet rumours in recent months that the proprietor, managing director and chief marine surveyor of BMS Bahrain and BMS Marine Services Holding, who is also a former chairman and president of Bahrain RFC, might hang up his boots after his birthday and at the age of 70, nobody could blame him for doing so.

However, with the Bahrain Veterans’ Midnight Tens tournament coming up next month, as part of the club’s ‘Festival of Rugby’ weekend, there is no chance of that happening any time soon.

Burton once again showed his love and thirst for the game last weekend when he lined up as a guest player for the touring Crusaders RFC against the Bahrain Chairman’s XV.

The match took place as part of Bahrain RFC’s festivities for GREAT British Week, and followed on from a special charity dinner the previous night.

The club’s latest expedition saw them take on a Bahrain Chairman’s XV made up of Firbolgs, Colts and Golden Oldies players.

It was the visitors, with a couple of former Scotland internationals and several ex-pros among their ranks, who got off to a better start in this one as they powered ahead to score three tries to one in reply from their hosts in the opening half.

The home side responded superbly in the second period as Jaxon McAllister scored two quick and unanswered tries to steer the Chairman’s XV into the lead.

With the game breaking up in the closing stages and ex-Edinburgh and Toulouse star Marcus di Rollo pulling the strings, the Crusaders finished strongly to run out 47-35 winners after a thoroughly entertaining exhibition of rugby.

The Crusaders left Bahrain on Sunday night to return to the UK after raising almost £5,000 for cancer causes.
It wasn’t such a good weekend for Bahrain RFC’s first XV however, as they lost to reigning champions Jebel Ali Dragons in the Gulf Top Six.

Former Bahrain fly-half Dan Bell was the chief tormentor for the Dragons as he chipped in with two early tries and a further 14 points with the boot to secure a bonus-point, 34-11 win for his side.

Bahrain’s points came from a penalty by captain Adam Wallace, an opportunist drop-goal by fly-half Oli Luke and a consolation try by man-of-the-match Terence Tantoh.

Bahrain have a chance to redeem themselves in front of home supporters as they take on Doha in Saar this Friday with a 4pm kick-off.