St Davids RNLI supported a rugby memorial for Harvester trawler tragedy victims on Saturday.

St Davids RNLI lifeboat launched on Saturday 17 February to collect a rugby ball for The Willington Slate Trophy memorial rugby match between St Davids RFC and Pembroke RFC.

On 28 April 2016, father and son Gareth and Daniel Willington drowned when their boat the Harvester sank off St Davids Head. As part of the multi agency search operation, St Davids RNLI launched Tyne, Tamar and inshore lifeboats, Angle launched its Tamar class and Fishguard launched both its Trent and inshore lifeboats.

Meeting Angle RNLI at Martins Haven, in a symbolic gesture the rugby ball was thrown successfully to St Davids volunteers. All-weather lifeboat Norah Wortley then headed to a position just off Carreg Tri, a reef west of St Davids head, where it’s thought the two fishermen fell into the water.

St Davids crew lined the aft deck and conducted a minutes silence in honour of the men before returning to St Davids. Coxswain Will Chant presented the ball pitch side to Darrel Willington, brother of Gareth, uncle of Daniel, and ex chairman of Pembroke RFC.

The rugby match raised money for the Fisherman’s Mission and the RNLI and ended in a 31-24 victory to St Davids RFC.