On Wednesday evening Ballymacarn Park hosted a very special occasion, when the members of 2 Rifles played a Ballynahinch President’s XV in memory of Captain Mark Hale, who died during 2 Rifles deployment in Helmand province Afghanistan. The teams were playing for the Mark Hale Memorial Trophy and Mark’s widow Brenda and daughters Tori and Alex were present for the big game.

The Ballynahinch Presidents XV was made up of players from the 2’s, 3’s and 4’s with a number of these players having played alongside Mark in a Hinch jersey. The 2 Rifles side looked very impressive as they took to the field with an entire backline featuring hard running Fijians.

Before the kick-off there was a minutes silence as a mark of respect for Mark, then his wife Brenda and daughters Tori and Alex joined the 2 Rifles players as they sang a traditional hymn on the halfway line. It was a very moving occasion.

The game itself was a very competitive contest, the Rifles taking an early lead with two quick tries scored by their big Fijian backs. The Hinch men did hit back with a couple of their own, and the lead on the scoreboard changed on five occasions. A large Ballymacarn Park crowd enjoyed a very open and evenly fought contest which ended with the Rifles winning by 3 points 29-31.

After the game the Mark Hale Memorial Trophy was presented by Brenda Hale to the Rifles skipper Gus. Ballynahinch Club President Alan Montgomery paid tribute to Mark and thanked 2 Rifles for creating this unique way to enable both the Club and the Regiment to remember Mark in a very meaningful way. He then thanked Brenda for presenting the trophy and thanked Mark’s good friends Captain Henry Coltart and George Campbell for organising the game and he looked forward to Ballynahinch challenging for the trophy next season.

Captain Henry Coltart of 2 Rifles was responsible for helping to organise this game and he explained how it all came about. “Captain Mark Hale, who was tragically killed in Afghanistan on our recent tour last year was a keen rugby player, he played for both Ballynahinch and 2 Rifles Rugby Clubs. We all felt that a most fitting way to remember him was to have a game in his honour. So the Ballynahinch and 2 Rifles clubs decided to meet here tonight to play a game in his honour, it was a very tangible way in which all the players from both clubs could come together to commemorate his life.”

At the Hinch Mark’s involvement was with the youth in the club, and with the Mini Rugby in particular and he played with the 2’s when he was able to do so. He was very popular both on and off the field, a natural leader who was well respected. Henry agreed and said, “Mark was massively liked in the Rifles, and he was doing the same job with the Rifles as he did with Ballynahinch, he built our Rifles rugby team from the ground up, and developed it into one of the strongest rugby teams in the army.”

Did you serve with Mark in Afghanistan? “Yes I was based in the same Forward Operating Base with him, and I was there when he was taken from us. He was the life and soul of the Base, and his cheeky sense of humour often brought someone back down to earth if they got too full of themselves. It wasn't just the officers but the soldiers also who had a huge admiration for him, they looked up to him as a role model.”

So most of the men who played here tonight had served with Mark at some stage? “Yes, all of them who played tonight had some association with Mark, and within the rugby team were we always used first name terms and he was always known as Mark or Captain Mark so yes he had a big impact with those boys who played tonight. I also understand that a number of the Hinch boys also played alongside Mark at the Club.”

Is this competition between the two clubs set to become an annual fixture? “We would love this to become an annual fixture, we have got our own inter-army league which is great, but the inter-action between the local clubs like Ballynahinch and even the PSNI adds a real variety to our lives, and considering we are going to be based here for the next 5 years it is wonderful actually to have the opportunity to enable us to integrate with the people we live amongst.”

David Workman Ballynahinch Club Chairman said, “This is our way of acknowledging the contribution that Mark made as a player and a man. Whether he was playing or coaching the Mini Rugby, he was always generous with his time – he was a real gent and is greatly missed.”

Throughout the game, which was attended by Mark’s family, the players collected donations which were split between the Rifleman’s Benevolent Fund and ‘The Undentables’ - a charity started in Mark’s honour.