Organisers are hoping that the Wayne Barnes charity spectacular at Lydney at the weekend may have raised well over £20,000.

Dave Emery, who has been friends with Barnes since their schooldays and helped organise the event, told The Local Answer: “Wayne and his wife Polly had raised £78,000 for Breast Cancer Now before this last weekend and they’re hoping that they have now smashed the £100,000 barrier.

“If that’s the case that would be brilliant.”

A crowd of close on 2,000 packed into Regentsholme on Sunday for the annual charity game between Dave Emery’s Foresters’ Invitational XV and Wayne Barnes’ Select XV.

The game ended 53-53 and Emery, who is Lydney’s first XV manager, chuckled: “We were robbed! We were 53-46 up with 99 minutes on the clock. Nick Wood wouldn’t blow for time but as soon as they scored and converted he blew up!”

Two-times British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland was the special guest at a game which also saw one-time England and British Lions wing Ugo Moyne, now 35, play for Barnes’ side.

“He scored a couple of unbelievable tries,” added Emery. “He looked as though he could still play now.”

Top international referee Barnes, who broke a rib in last year’s match, didn’t start on Sunday but soon got involved, so how did he play?

“Shocking as normal,” laughed Emery, “although he was like a salmon at the lineout.

“I was a bit surprised that he went on when he did because there were some big tackles early on. It was quite physical, it was like national league rugby.

“My team were made up of lads who are all still playing rugby.”

And while that game was the showpiece event of the weekend – the overall series remains level at 2-2 – it was by no means the only event of the weekend which began with a sell-out dinner at Regentsholme on Saturday evening, continued with a series of age group matches from 10am on Sunday and ended with live bands performing on a makeshift stage well into the night.

Lydney Rugby Club, meanwhile, have their end-of-season dinner at the clubhouse on Friday.