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Mandy Keytes, mother of Shelly, Shelly Nicklin, Pauline Nicklin, Ian Nicklin and the twins Hope Rae and Johnny James surrounded by the Old and current Colts Bicester rugby teams

Former team-mates of a young Bicester man who died last year got to meet his baby twins at a memorial match in his honour yesterday.

Jamie Nicklin died in September after losing his three-year battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, shortly after learning his wife Shelly was pregnant with twins. He was 24.

In what was an emotional day for everyone involved, former team-mates of Jamie's from Bicester Rugby Club took to the field in an Old Colts v Current Colts game to pay respects to a man described as "the life of the party".

His widow Shelly, 21, said: "It's brilliant to see so many people turning out today for Jamie. He would have been so happy to have seen everyone here.

"It's been emotional and there have been a few tears. I wish Jamie was still here with us, everyone misses him so much."

Shelly, of Longfellow Close, went through IVF to have twins, John James, named after Jamie's grandfather, and Hope Rae.

She said: "We had wanted to go through IVF earlier but we couldn't. I wish that Jamie had got to see them."

Jamie's mum Pauline said she was moved by the number of people that had come out to show their respects for her late son.

Jamie Nicklin

She said: "I think it's just lovely that everyone has gone to so much effort. I think of the 20 lads that Jamie used to play with, only one couldn't make it because he was in Australia.

"We hadn't even known about it until a week ago, when we got a call telling us this was happening. And we got here and saw everyone here, well, it's overwhelming."

His dad Ian said: "I got a bit upset when I saw the memorial programme and the shirts the lads were wearing with Jamie's name on.

"It's nice to see the team back together again, but it is hard without Jamie being here."

Former team-mate and godfather to the twins, Dan Hathaway, 21, said it had not been hard getting everyone involved with the day.

He said: "You really couldn't have known a better person. He was definitely the life of the party and when we decided to do this people said yes' without hesitating.

"This is as much for Shelly and the twins, she was an absolute rock while Jamie was ill. I don't know how she managed to cope so well."

Organiser Will Morris, 24, said: "If Jamie had been here today he would have probably been running up the wing, having a go at us.

"He was a great guy and the fact that so many of his old team-mates are here today is tribute to that."

The game raised money for cancer charities.

6:39am Monday 5th May 2008

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