by Amanda Little

Last updated at 15:28, Friday, 13 July 2012

At an age when most men are happy to put their feet up at weekends, Penrith rugby stalwart Terry Balmer is still playing week in, week out – aged 44.

Terry Balmer, centre, with sons Taylor and Jay Balmer

And the back-rower, who used to play for Penrith Colts alongside England coach Stuart Lancaster, has a special reason for refusing to hang up his boots.

Balmer has scored 499 tries for his home-town club, from Colts level to the first team and now the third XV, and has his sights set on reaching 500.

He crossed the whitewash 15 times last season when he was joined in the team by 18-year-old son Jay, who also plays for the county under-18s, and he hopes his other son Taylor, 15, who plays for the club’s under-16s, will one day join him in the same team.

Balmer, who also coaches Penrith’s under-16 team, said: “I won’t give up playing until I’m pushed out of the team – and then we’ll have to start a fourth team. I’ve never trained, I just play on a Saturday, although it is getting harder as it takes me until Friday to recover. It takes a toll on your body but I’m still hoping to continue and try to get the 500th try. It will be a nice landmark.”

Balmer’s highest try tally for a season was 49 and during another season he scored 32, including seven in one game against Workington. He played for Penrith at under-19 level when he was only 14, and captained the Colts team which included Lancaster, who hails from Culgaith, and was appointed England head coach last season.

Lancaster has staged coaching sessions at Penrith in the past for his friend and former team-mate.

First published at 14:12, Friday, 13 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk