WHILE the rugby world cup rages down under, Skipton Rugby Club was represented at one of the game's saddest moments on the tropical island of Bali on Sunday.

One year ago to the day, 202 people, mainly Westerners, were killed in a terrorist bomb attack, and of that number some 80 were rugby players from all parts of the world taking part in an annual tournament.

On Sunday the Prime Minister of Australia and other VIPs attended a service to mark the unveiling of a memorial to the dead, who also included more than 30 Balinese Hindus.

Present, by coincidence, was John Sheard, a vice president at Skipton RFC, who was on the island for a family holiday. He told the Herald: "The dead included amateur rugby players from Australia, New Zealand, and several Brit expats from Singapore and Hong Kong,

"The whole rugby world was in mourning for a couple of hours that day so I thought it would be nice if I went along to pay the respects of the rugby-lovers of Skipton and all the other players in Craven for that matter."

Sadly, bombs are nothing new to regular Herald writer John. As an Ulster correspondent for four years at the beginning of the Troubles, he covered more than he can remember.

But, on a lighter note, his Skipton RFC baseball cap kept being spotted by mainly Aussie rugby players who had made the trip especially for the memorial service, so he became the token Brit at no less than three bars.

"It became quite a party. But I think those dead rugby lads would have appreciated that," John admits.