Rugby League: Rochdale Mayfield Select take on select team from France

Rochdale Mayfield

Rochdale Mayfield Select will take on a touring select team from France in an International Challenge Match at Mayfield Sports Centre on Friday 11 October.

The Mayfield Select team will be made up of players from the clubs Mustangs section who are aged 16 and 17.

The French side is made up from players from teams in the Occitaine Region of the country with lads coming together from teams such as Tres Catalan, Toulouse, Albi and Lezignan.

Mayfield coach Lee Wilson said: “We were approached by the Hornets Foundation’s Niel Wood asking if we would like to play this French Select team who have come over to spend the week in the UK prior to them attending Saturdays Super League Grand Final, we jumped at the chance to play a team from France!”

The Occitaine XIII team are a development squad who will be in the UK for the week and will play Wigan St Jude’s on Wednesday night before playing Mayfield and ending the week at the Grand Final at Old Trafford between Salford and St Helens.

Emma Patterson, Mustang's youth section secretary said: “This will be a tough test for our lads as the French squad are at some big successful French teams and will not be here for a jolly, there is serious pride at stake here.”

“Hopefully this may be the start of a yearly trip that will see the French side return and maybe we can look to take a Mayfield Mustangs team over the channel to play them and take in a Catalan Dragons or Toulouse game while we are there.”

The game kicks off on Friday 11 October at 7.00pm and full bar and kitchen facilities will be open at Mayfield Sports Centre before and after the game.