IF there's a better sports story to tell than that of Forest of Dean rugby, historian Paul Mason has yet to find it.

Paul, a lifelong rugby fan and chairman of Drybrook RFC, is working on the definitive history of Forest rugby. The book will be published later this year to mark the centenary of the Forest of Dean Combination.

"It's a remarkable story and one I have enjoyed doing," says Paul who is now nearing the end of his research – but still wants more!

"There are many Forest of Dean families with rugby connections going back to the days when almost every village and even chapels and hamlets had rugby sides. At one time there were 50 teams in the Forest so I'm sure there are many people with stories to tell and I would love to hear them," he says.

The story of the Combination Cup is in itself an epic, having been the major award for a number of competitions including the County Cup when it was won outright by Cinderford. The cup made its first appearance in the 1890s and eventually became the much sought-after Combination Cup in 1913.

Fought over tooth and nail, local pride was at stake whenever the draw for the first round of the cup was made.

Now regarded as so valuable it has to be kept almost permanently in a bank vault, the cup has enjoyed a colourful past – among many adventures it has been used as a 'dish' for fish and chips and washed in a bath!

Paul has many stories to tell, among them details of one family with four generations of players who appoeared in senior cup finals and two players each with seven senior winners' medals, as well as a father and son who played in the same final.

Paul says: "Anything Forest rugby related would be welcome."

Having an avid interest in Forest history in general, Paul recently acquired a box of Forest of Dean related material in a sale. Among the items was a photograph of a rugby player named H J Bennett who played league rugby for Leeds.

Paul says: "Was he a Forest lad? Lots of local rugby layers left the Forest to go North and at one stage league rugby threatened to ruin a number of local clubs."

•If you have a rugby tale to tell, especially about Combination Cup matches, Paul can be contacted on Dean 543948 or by email at ap.mason@ bitinternet.com