A quartet of Brighton and Hove veterans have made a perfect start to their global challenge.

Brothers Jolyon and Hamish vans Agnew, Geoffrey Dennis and Steve Mooney were selected for The English Abbots, a club representative side, to play in the biannual world veterans tournament in Fiji.

Dennis, a former Sussex player, was Brighton and Hove captain in 1980.

Jolyon vans Agnew played at the highest standard for many years and was part of the Brighton team that won the Sussex Cup in 1982.

Jolyon's and Hamish's father, Michael vans Agnew, played for Scotland and Brighton in the 1950s.

The fourth member of the squad, Steve Mooney, was born in The Andaman and Icobar Islands but, after settling in Brighton in his teens, has played for the club ever since.

On arrival in Fiji, The English Abbots enjoyed a 3-2 win over the Fiji Invitational XI, aided by a stunning short corner from Jolyon vans Agnew and a last-minute winner from right winger Dennis.

The tournament proper saw The Abbots drawn against two New Zealand teams, the German champions, two teams from Ireland and a very strong side from Western Australia.

The first game was against the Western Australian club team. After a very tight first half, The Abbots scored the only goal midway through the second half, a pinpoint cross from Dennis that was converted into the top corner of the net.

The second game on the first day was against a very strong Southern Irish team.

The Abbots scored against the run of play, again following a cross from Dennis.

The second half was torrid, but the English team held on with one spectacular save on the line from Hamish vans Agnew, who was playing sweeper.

Mooney had a very solid game as one of the other defenders.

That left them preparing for a make-or-break contest with the highly-rated German vets.