Shropshire grandad pitches in to tackle rugby board game
He may have hung up his rugby boots seven years ago, but Martin Talbot still enjoys playing the sport he loved - on his dining room table.
For the Lilleshall pensioner has revisited an idea he had several years ago and created a board game all about his favourite sport.
The finished product, called Tackle, includes a ball, two dice and squares on a rugby pitch-shaped board that represent real-life rugby situations such as rucks, mauls and scrums.
The player throws the dice to kick off and one die shows how many squares the ball must be moved to the side and the other shows how far forward the player should move.
The aim, as in real life rugby, is to reach the try line.
Mr Talbot, 60, said: "There are plenty of football games but few if any rugby games and so I thought I would give it a go.
"I came up with the idea some years ago but now that I'm retired I thought I should bring a game to the market.
"It is a game for all ages and comes with a playing board, rugby marker, dice and shaker, pencil, scoreboard and full instructions"
The grandfather has so far made 250 copies of the board game.
He said: "I tell the box company what I want and they come back to me with ideas and they put it all together.
"The game itself I have already designed I gave that to the manufacturers and they make it up for me. I order the dice, shakers and scoreboards. I have had 250 made so far.
"I have contacted most or all of the big stores about stocking it but unfortunately a lot do not even get back to you.
"I got in touch with someone at The Entertainer who spoke to the firm's buyers about it and they said people go to them with 100 games a week.
"It is quite a job to get them into the market."
Mr Talbot has spent most of his life playing the game he loves and won 60 caps playing for the county.
The retired builder played on the wing for Newport first team aged just 16 and at 18 was one of the youngest to play for the county.
He has also played first class rugby for Birkenhead Park.
He hung up his boots at the age of 53, when he was still playing first team games for Newport.
He said: "It was about 25 years ago when I first thought about the board game.
"I have always wondered if it may take off and now I am retired I thought why not give it a go. I have made a few of them and I am trying to sell them slowly. I have always thought, Well I wonder if it will be a success."
He added: "It is a great game and not just a game of chance but a little bit of skill in it as well, for example when landing on a ruck square you must decide which side of the pitch to move to next.
"You just play up the field until you go over the try line. Everything you can do in rugby you can do in this game.
"I get better reaction off the adults. If you are playing Monopoly for example the last hour or so can drag on a bit with this game you might be 20-0 up with five minutes to go you can still win so it is very exciting to play."
Tackle costs £18 including postage and packaging. For more information or to order the game, email tackle.rugby@hotmail.com or send a cheque payable to M Talbot to Tackle, PO Box 469, Lilleshall, Newport, TF2 2FY.
