It is reported in the Guardian (National not ours) that the Giants second-row Brett Ferres has frostbite due to the conditions in last nights game.

Well being an ex-military man I can say, "that's what you get for tending around in the cold".

. Only joking. I hope it'll not true as I've seen the effects of frostbite. Not nice.

Even with 2 hours of exposure to the elements last night its highly unlikely that anybody would have got "proper" frost bite. "An individual having difficulties in their fingers due to the cold" is more likely (but that probably applied to about 9500 people last night! . IF they had, can you imagine the repercussions throughout SL of playing in games at the ends of the season?

Watching last nights game completely wiped away any nostalgic thoughts I may have retained for winter rugby. However, it did make me wonder about whatever ever happened to wintergreen - did its use die out with the onset of summer rugby or are there other reasons behind its demise?

Players at Stockton RUFC will be using Wintergreen in their game at Ryton this afternoon. Still bloody good stuff, unless it strays to a certain area.

Don't go the toilet for a whizz when you've just put that stuff on!

Yes, seem to remember hearing that Jim Mills used to do that to himself before a game in order to ensure he was fired up!!

Do they mean chilblaines, not frostbite?

in all the years of watching the wire through winter and this so called summer rugby ive never heard of any player sufferinf from frost bite..good job oldham are not in our league..any one go that cup game at watersheddings or the league game at hull kr both of which were played in terrrible conditions

Some Aussie player got hypothermia playing at Halifax or somewhere a few years ago

It didn't bloody work. The players were absolutely frozen, I was on the touchline with 6 layers on my upper body, and after 20 minutes I couldn't feel my feet, despite rugby boots and 2 pairs of rugby socks. The only plus was that there was no snow. A shower and a bath later, I'm still cold.

Playing RU, not surprised they were cold.

Ha. I was telling my lad about wintergreen after his match the other week when he played in the coldest conditions I've ever known (well, my tiny brain remembers).

Where can you even buy it from nowadays. I'm pretty sure it was only available in chemists when I was a kid.

Wayne Putama, a Kiwi who came over with Roby Muller, played at full back for the Wire at Hull KR (in the 80s I think) and had to come off at half time as he was frozen solid!!!

the old brown glass medicine style bottle of wintergreen,that smell takes me back to freezing playing fields,tremendous stuff.

I started playing rugby at junior school, so used it for a long time. But it doesn't look too good from the following hazard sheet;

[iPotential Acute Health Effects: Hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of inhalation.
Potential Chronic Health Effects:
Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (sensitizer). CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available. MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Mutagenic for bacteria and/or yeast. TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available. DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not available. The substance may be toxic to kidneys, liver, heart, central nervous system (CNS). Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage.[/i