Rugby club tries to keep its head above water

THIS picture explains why you are more likely to see a jet-ski than a fly-half at this rugby club following five weeks of flooding.

Wind-surfers, canoeists and jet-skiers are taking advantage of the scene at Beccehamian Rugby Club in West Wickham, Kent, whose three pitches have been submerged under four feet of water.

The floodgates first opened on 16 January and the water soon expanded to cover an area of about 15,000 square metres.

Despite the conditions which have forced the club to play all its matches away - it is having its best season for five years. But an estimated 10,000 has been lost in bar revenue and the club is organising a regatta on site to raise money and morale.

Club secretary Simon Corcoran said: "We thought we might put some salmon in and open up for fishing before we decided to have a watersports competition."

A spokesman for Bromley council said there is little that could be done.

"It's a natural phenomena and something that only occurs once every 50 or 100 years," he said. "It happened through the rising of the water table which has been fed by various springs."

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