BOXING Day may have been a chance for most Tele readers to recover slowly from the festive excesses of the day before - but Greenock Wanderers' players showed they are made of much sterner stuff.

The club's eagerly-anticipated Boxing Day Trophy clash saw teams made up of under-30 and over-30 players do battle for silverware provided by the club's director of rugby, John Dyer - and there was no sign of anyone taking it easy in a match that provided plenty of entertainment for all who came along to Fort Matilda to enjoy the action.

The two Wanderers teams pictured with director of rugby John Dyer after Thursday's match. (Image: alex craig) This long established popular fixture at Fort Matilda allows players and spectators to forget the tension of league rugby and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere amongst former players and spectators returning home for Christmas.

Jack McDaid, co-captain of the first XV, looked after the under-30s with Murray McDonald leading their older clubmates.

Wanderers' under-30s took home the silverware. (Image: alex craig) Bryan Reddy, coach of the club's under-16s, had the difficult task of keeping the two sides in check and ensuring their Christmas enthusiasm - and their desire to get one over on their team-mates - didn't boil over

As our pictures show, though, once Reddy blew his whistle for the final time, all hostilities were forgotten and smiles broke out among both sets of players - though it was the younger ones who secured the bragging rights by getting their hands on the silverware at the end of the day.

Now that the dust has settled on 2024's action on the pitch at Fort Matilda, Wanderers' players have a couple of weeks to recharge their batteries before the new year's fixtures begin.

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All three of the men's XVs are back in action on Saturday, January 11, when the first team travel to Ayrshire to face joint National 4 leaders Ardrossan Accies.

On the same day the second team host Lanarkshire 2nd XV at Fort Matilda, while the third XV are away to GHA Lions.