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A teamfrom 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (2RRF) have won the British Army Germany Major Unit Football tournament, beating 8 Regiment RLC in the closely fought final 2 – 1.

The team, whose unit is based in Celle in northern Germany automatically qualified for the overall Army Football Cup semi-finals which will take place in the UK later in the summer.

Team member Fusilier James Bryson, 20, said: “It is amazing that we won today, this is my first winner’s trophy in the fusiliers – it is an amazing feeling. It was a hard game, they put us under pressure, when we attacked we got the goods but they kept coming back at us.”

James and the rest of his unit who are currently on a strict program of mission specific training designed to prepare them for a possible deployment to Afghanistan when 2RRF relocate to Cyprus as the Theatre Reserve Support Group, saw this competition as a welcome break from their regular duties.

He added: “Sports events like this make relations between the regiments better, it’s also good for our fitness and team bonding.

“As for the possibility of going to Afghanistan it is my job, what ever comes in front of me I will just take it.”

As well as the fitness benefits, taking part in sport such as football was also a good chance for the competitors to gain important leadership and team working skills – each team manager was responsible for selecting players, arranging transport to the event and organising practice sessions.

All the players who travelled from various camps across Germany to take part had an early start with the first game starting at eight thirty in the morning. The tournament which was plagued by heavy rain and strong winds ended at around six in the evening.

2RRF’s victory followed 1 Logistic Support Regiment in the Minor Units final in which they beat 2nd Medical Regiment 3 - 2 after coming from a goal behind.

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Injured Royal Marines won nearly 20 medals in the recent United States Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Trials held in California.

The Wounded Warrior Trials took place at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California, in February.

The trials were designed for American troops who had been injured on operations and formed part of their rehabilitation.

But for the second year in a row the United States Marine Corps (USMC) extended their invitation to Royal Marines and a host of marines from allied nations including Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Colombia and Australia. These troops formed the allied team who competed against a USMC battalion team from the American east and west coasts, and a team of USMC veterans.

The USMC conducted their own trials to select a team to compete at the national games against the US army, air force, navy and coast guard.

PARALYMPICS

In total the competition involved 375 participants from around the world. It was based upon the paralympic format and the sports included wheelchair basketball, seated volleyball, track and field, cycling, 10m air rifle and pistol shooting, swimming and archery.

The Royal Marines team consisted of personnel from HMS Drake’s Hasler Company, and Termoli Troop from 40 Commando.

Among the many Royal Marine successes at the trials were Mne Joe Townsend’s haul of seven gold medals. Mne Townsend lost both his legs on operations in Afghanistan in 2008 in an IED blast. He is now in the British Paralympic triathlon development squad for the 2016 Games in Brazil.

Sgt Mo Morris, a PTI in Hasler Company, accompanied the Royal Marines team to the trials. Hasler Company is a military unit specifically for Royal Marines with long-term injuries and illnesses. The company, based at the HMS Drake Personnel Recovery Centre at HM Naval Base Devonport, administers various specialist rehabilitation and welfare services.

Sgt Morris recalled some of his highlights from the Wounded Warrior Trials: “There were many memories that stand out, such as Joe winning seven gold medals, or Jonah [Mne Martin Jones] failing to live up to his self-prophecy of ‘dominating’ at the games.

“Some of my favourites include Spider [Cpl Matthew Webb], who has only been walking on his new legs for two months, performing the ‘two step’ at a line dancing club. I am quite sure that move is not taught at Headley Court yet I am also positive they will be just as impressed as the American contingent who witnessed it.

“There was also the story of Cpl Phillip Eaglesham or Scoobs, who has been diagnosed with Q fever, a condition that puts an extreme restriction on physical ability, and was advised that he would find it extremely difficult to perform even his daily routine. He defied all odds, competed in the 10m air rifle shooting, and won a silver medal.

“To put this into perspective, Scoobs had to share his rifle with other competitors and re-zero on every shoot, and was only shooting in that discipline for the very first time. He finished 0.5 points behind the winner who was on the American development squad for the next Paralympics in that event. The pride I felt for him when he took to the podium to collect his medal was indescribable.

“I watched Coupes (Mne Lee Coupe) turn up for swimming training every day without exception and work himself 100 per cent. Even though he did not place in the eventual competition, he was admired by the swimming coaches for his efforts for the duration of the training.

“Also, congratulations to Cpl Marcus ‘Rosey’ Rose, Jonah, JD, Dolph (Mne Martin James) and Spider, who also contributed towards the medal tally with four golds, five silvers and one bronze between them.”

In total the Royal Marines team won 11 golds, six silvers and one bronze medal. Sgt Morris added:

“The tangible rewards were not the true success of the games, the personal achievement was the real success story. Everyone had to battle with his physical and psychological demons to even get through the initial week of practice. They were to discover that their physical limitations were actually determined by what they thought they could not do.

“An event such as competitive cycling, for someone who is visually impaired, allows confidence to grow in the individual as it proved the skill could be transferred to enjoy a bike ride with his children.

“Alternatively, a triple-amputee having to learn how to climb up and down the bus stairs every day to get to training allowed the thought of freedom at home. The power of the games affected not only confidence and attitude, but the journey of self-discovery allowed for a positive vision for the future and the realisation of what can be done, not what you can’t do.”

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