Masters' swansong

AGEING LEGENDS: The swansong for the Wanganui Cosmos ended with bronze against younger World Masters Games football opponents.

Their age range suggested a far less strenuous mission, but the Wanganui Cosmos dug deep playing seven games of football in a week earning bronze at the World Masters Games in Auckland.

Made up of players with an average age of early-to-mid 60s - and even a couple rapidly closing in on 70 - the Cosmos opted to compete in the younger 55-plus open grade division where it was the only New Zealand side.

They competed against three Canadian teams, including a Canadian/Australian composite side, two Australian teams and an Italian X1.

The offshoot of the Wanganui Athletic Football Club won one game, drew three and lost two during pool play to finish on six points and go into the play-offs against the Italians for third and fourth spots.

They drilled the Europeans 3-nil to take bronze and raise the ire of an emotional Italian team.

"They were not happy, I can tell you that, they were so passionate," Cosmos co-founder/player Bryan Stewart said.

The division was won by Candian side Islanders with their compatriots Okanagan Kickers taking silver.

"We should have done better with our drawn games, though. We did beat the Italians 1-0 in pool play and one of our draws was against gold medal winners Islanders from Canada.
We were the only side to take a point off them."

Stewart said the event was to be Cosmos' swansong.

"However, after a few Heinikens one night there was talk of maybe entering trh 2021 games in Japan, until I suggested we wait and see who was left standing after this World Masters Games."