A former Royal Navy rugby player and friend of mine – Chris – died suddenly last year. He was only 52. His loss was a huge tragedy and he was mourned by many who knew him for the stand out gentleman that he was. One of the causes he was passionate about was the plight of service personnel with PTSD and he’d been instrumental in the promotion of “The Mountain Way”, which helps veterans with this condition.

Another friend of mine who also served and played with Chris is Kurt – an exceptional former Navy rugby player and former marine. Kurt contacted me a few weeks ago to explain that Chris had bequeathed some money in his will to be used by friends of his to celebrate his life at his most loved event – the Army Navy game. It was an honour and privilege to be invited.

It was the 100th British Army v Royal Navy match at Twickenham which in itself was special. It was also a sold-out stadium (85,000 people) which is incredible when you remember that in the ’90s a crowd of 25,000 for this match was a lot.

I met up with Kurt ahead of the Vets game in the morning and we picked up the conversation where we’d left off when I last saw him 20 years ago! I reflected throughout the day on a number of truly inspiring elements of the experience…

The British Armed Forces are one big family; this event certainly feels like one BIG reunion. Given the extent of military service and sacrifice particularly over the last 15 years since “9/11”, it is a particularly poignant reunion. Many lives have been lost in combat, many alive have scars on minds and bodies. For veterans of the brutal campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the ongoing war on terror, the Army Navy game has become one of the major annual opportunities to reunite with comrades, and to celebrate life and liberty.

I bumped into dozens of old friends with whom I served in the 90’s. We caught up and reminisced until we bumped into another old friend and so it went on…

The network established while serving is equally key for business development, this reunion contributes to professional growth; my discussions with Kurt bore this out.

2. The Contest

Twickenham is a modern-day colosseum befitting the gladiators who grace her glorious green pitch.

85,000 spectators were treated to a magnificent contest involving 49 points in all; some superb tries, some bone-shaking tackles, and some breath-taking runs which brought the crowd to their feet and raised the roof with their roars.

I was very impressed by the quality of rugby on display especially when you consider that these are serving personnel in a stretched British military: Getting consistency and continuity in this context must be a significant challenge.

There is also an accepted truth which is that the Army will generally start as favourites but there is always the chance of an upset. The Navy statistically wins only once every six years nowadays but as a former marine and player myself, I believed the Navy could do it even when there was only one minute left on the clock!

In the end, the Army won 29-20 but the Navy played their hearts out – I was proud of them. The contest was hard fought and played with guts, determination, dignity and respect. The Army had some real x-factor players with lightning speed, they also converted their opportunities into points every time.

3. The Commitment

Player commitment was there for all to see but what about spectator commitment? Armed Forces serving personnel and veterans had travelled from near and far to make the occasion. There were also thousands of civilian rugby fans and British patriots.

Beyond that there was real commitment in terms of dress! Fancy dress. Whether a Corps coloured suit or impressive, authentic “drag” – supporters had gone to town.

Many conversations I joined were focused on finding ways to help those suffering from mental stress and PTSD. There was a real commitment to raise awareness and funds to mitigate and manage what has become a significant problem by many accounts. What was most humbling was that in some cases, the people collaborating to create a charity or join forces in the fight against PTSD, were struggling themselves but their focus was on helping those even less fortunate.

Prince Harry presided over the match as guest of honour and indeed his Invictus initiative was the nominated charity for this year’s event. This seemed entirely appropriate and continues the theme of “help for heroes”. He was surrounded by some of the wounded Paralympic athletes who have inspired us all at the Invictus Games.

In conclusion, the day was a perfect match for Chris whose life we celebrated. He was an incredible comrade to hundreds of people during his career. He played at Twickenham in the Army Navy game and loved the contest and the challenge. His commitment on the field as a Number 9 was a prelude to his subsequent commitment to values-driven leadership development, and his passion for the “Mountain Way”.

I left London inspired and humbled. So many heroes in one day. And what an amazing gesture from this servant leader – to bequeath a pot of money in his will for good friends who shared his passion for the Army Navy game, to enjoy the occasion on his behalf. Goose bumps every time…