The British Police Men’s Rugby Team showed resilience and character despite a 33-19 defeat to the British Army, says West Mercia Police officer PC Finley ‘Fin’ Barnes.

Fin made his British Police debut in the game at Sixways Stadium, the home of Worcester Warriors.

The army held a 33-0 lead early in the second half, but the police scored three tries in the final quarter to give them plenty of encouragement going into forthcoming fixtures against the RAF and the Navy.

The back rower said: “Our heads didn’t drop. We kept going right to the end and finished really strongly. The second half was much better and the scoreline shows that.”

PC Finley ‘Fin’ Barnes is far right with his head up from the scrum

The army’s strong start could be attributed to having spent more time together as a squad.

The police side, by contrast, had limited preparation time, arriving at the ground in the afternoon and having just an hour together before kick-off.

“You can tell the Army lads spend a lot more time together, and I think that showed in the first half,” added Fin.

“But credit to the lads, particularly the forwards, who put in a really good shift during that second half.

He continued: “It was a tough game, but I really enjoyed it, particularly the second half.

Honour

“It was a really good experience and a massive honour to play.”

Fin’s call-up came off the back of his involvement with England Police during the Four Nations.

And he has been selected for the summer tour to take on Argentina and Uruguay.

The opportunity to tour South America is one he is relishing, but it comes with personal financial costs, and he is currently seeking sponsorship to help subsidise his travel and accommodation.

Fin said: “It promises to be an experience of a lifetime, and hopefully I can get some funding to be able to go and represent England and policing.”

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