They will become the first British side of any sport to be invited and rugby league will be the first sport to be involved in the Telefon Charity Event which is the equivalent of the BBC’s ‘Children in Need’ event which took place last month.

The Lions participation in the event will see them play a Test Match against Morocco Stade Pagnetti, Cavaillon, 15 miles South of Avignon. The BARLA side will be attending the SO Avignon X111 club for that teams match against Roanne on the Sunday and will be presented to the crowd. SO Avignon are managed by Jeff Jouffret who is the brother of the French rugby League General Secretary.

On the eve of their departure Head Coach John Fieldhouse and Assistant Coach Danny Bolton gave their thoughts on the tour and forthcoming Test Match.

BARLA Great Britain Lions Head Coach John Fieldhouse

“It has been nice to be asked to coach the team again and to take a team out to France and I don’t know to much about the trip other than we were asked to go at short notice and it’s a pleasure to be involved in the team. They are highly talented players and there is a great team spirit, like a club team basically. It’s altogether, a lot of laughing and joking but when you want them to be serious they can be serious. I expect nothing other than a win when we get over there, but a good time to be had by all.

“I don’t know to much about this Morocco side but we are going over to France with a lot of quality players with a plan in place and we have plenty preparation time and whichever way we will be going there to win the game do the job representing BARLA and staying unbeaten.

“There are some new faces in the squad and they won’t take long to gel. We have got the jokers, we all know who they are, and we have got a lot of class in the team and a lot of experience. Predominantly most of the squad that we have is from the Tour of South Africa earlier this year; we had a fantastic time and camaraderie.

“ The team spirit is just like a club side and the four or five new guys who have come in they will just slot in as though they have never been out of the squad because that’s the way everybody is treated here. They are all treated as individuals but then when the team philosophy comes into it everybody mucks in and does the job, from the management to the players. We are all part of it and we all enjoy the victories and that’s what we are going to do.”


BARLA Great Britain Lions Assistant Coach Danny Bolton,

“I am looking forward to it with anticipation, they are a good set of lads and we have drafted five new players in, which is always good for the squad. It shows to people that there is a pathway of coming into the team and most of the lads who are in there are on form and in on merit, so I am really looking forward to it.

“It is the first time that we have met up with the squad today and everybody is laughing and joking which is always a good sign. But at the end of the day there is a means to an end, we are going there to do a job. With the sessions that John (Fieldhouse) and I have got planned hopefully we can gel together and go over there and get the result that we are after.

“The game and the invite over to France is for a very good cause, I don’t know much about the Morocco side or how talented they are but I am sure that they will come with great enthusiasm. They will be quite a big side so hopefully in the first twenty minutes we will get over that enthusiasm and will then put John’s and my plans into the game and come away with a victory.

“Nobody is more pleased than myself being promoted from the Under 21’s to Assistant Coach to assist John and hopefully I can pick Johns knowledge of the gamer and move forward. The comradeship of the lads and just being together, that’s what it’s all about I think and hopefully getting the result that we are after.”

For any further enquiries Steve Manning BARLA Media Manager & PRO can be contacted on 01744 635341/07757 626595

Steve Manning
BARLA Media Manager & PRO