Long time rugby tragic Michael Valentine will look back on his 500th match with fond memories as Associates 4th Grade Blue dug deep to defeat fierce rivals Nedlands 29-16 on Saturday afternoon.
Valentine, or Val as he is known to teammates and friends, entered the ground through a long tunnel of well wishers who had turned out for the special occasion. He was presented with a magnificent glass statuette by local MP Bill Marmion and RugbyWA CEO Vern Reid before taking his place in the second row.

In the thick of the action throughout, Val’s day was capped off by a memorable appearance from his son Lachlan, a member of the Soaks Colts side, who played alongside his father for the final 10 minutes of the match.

The win was celebrated immediately after the game and long into the night. We’ve even been told that Val’s alter ego, Captain Rugby, made an appearance later in the evening!

RugbyWA Chairman Geoff Stooke plays in the same team as Val and together they’ve chalked up more than 1000 games for Associates.

http://rugbywa.com.au/news/article,58651.html