Manchester's Broughton Park hosted an historic rugby event on Sunday 19 June when the national Jewish squad the British Zions met the national Asian squad the B.A.R.A. (British Asian Rugby Association) for a unique inter-community friendly. A junior match between King David School and Bradford's Manningham Bulls preceded the seniors match. The seniors match, a closely-fought contest won by B.A.R.A. with 14-9, ended just seconds before a terrific lightning storm, providing a dramatic end to the proceedings.

Ikram Butt, director of the B.A.R.A., said:"We believe this event to be the first of its kind. Sport is known for bringing people together across divides and at B.A.R.A. we are delighted to play the national Jewish rugby team in a spirit of friendship. Both of the senior teams are preparing for important matches abroad and we have a lot of synergy." The B.A.R.A. team will be travelling to Mumbai, India this September as part of a development tour promoting rugby in the sub-continent.

British Zions captain Sam Dayani of London added: "Once the players get out on the pitch it's all about rugby and sport - any social tensions and politics just don't come into it. This is a wonderful opportunity for both sets of players and we hope this event can be the beginning of a long-lasting relationship which will filter through to both communities.'" The Zions are currently preparing for the Maccabi Games in Israel.