The sun shone on Zac France’s charity rugby match with more than 100 points being scored and around £1,000 being raised for good causes.

The Gloucester Cherry Pickers, who included Samoan centre Terry Fanolua, defeated Zac France’s Cheltenham Barbarians 59-51 at the Prince of Wales Stadium but the real winners were the charities they were supporting.

“It was a very fast-paced game,” said France, who has returned to the sport this year after two years out following a serious spinal injury.

“We got off to a flying start and scored three quick tries but then a couple of yellow cards changed the game and they got right back into it.”

France, 24 and a centre, went head-to-head with Gloucester legend Fanolua and said: “It was really good to play against him.

“I remember going to hit him really hard. We’re both about 16 stone but I just kind of bounced off him!”

France was not among the try-scorers for the Barbarians and he was still ruing the one that got away almost 48 hours after the game.

“Fly-half Lawrence Tracey gave me the ball 10 metres out and I had a clear run to the line but someone tackled me just short of the try-line,” he said.

“It would have meant a lot to have scored that try because Lawrence is my personal trainer and has done so much to get me back to full fitness.”

France was told he would never play rugby again after sustaining his injury during a rugby league game more than two years ago.

One of the charities he was supporting on Saturday was the RFU Injured Players Foundation who did so much to support him during his recovery.

The other beneficiaries were the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice.

“It was a good turnout,” said France, who starts a new job as an assistant manager at a children’s nursery at the end of June. “There must have been a couple of hundred people there. It was a great day.”