CHRIS Rawlings (pictured) made his 555th first-team appearance for Drybrook on Saturday, beating Gerald Ward's longstanding club record of 554 first XV appearances for the Squirrels.

Rawlings, 37, is in his 20th season at The Mannings after making his debut in a 24-7 Western Counties defeat at home to Keynsham on February 16 1991.

Apart from Chris and club president Ward, only two other men have made 500 first-team appearances for Drybrook – Chris's father, Mike Rawlings (519) and Chris Treherne (522).

Chris Rawlings has won the 'most club appearances in a season' award nine times, and also captained the firsts from 1997 through to 2002.