SPORTING March Bears Legends allowed five players to play for their opposition on Saturday and paid the ultimate price losing 36-17 as a result.

The Legends were due to play their own club’s first team but a fixture mix-up resulted in them facing Peterborough Vets in an end of season friendly.

The visitors arrived with just 10 men and were relieved when five kind-hearted Bears swapped colours for the afternoon. John Aspinhall revelled in the Vets’ stripes scoring 17 points as a younger Peterborough side ran rings around the Bears in the closing stages.

Tries from Paul Galloway, Danny Boyle and Todd Wollard had given the Legends hope but they faded in the heat. Craig Buck added two more points with his boot.

Rob Whyman, 42, Legends’ captain, said: “It was a friendly so we had no problem giving them any players.

“We did well early on but their younger legs took control as the game wore on and towards the end we were out on our feet.”