GMP rugby players to tour Australia with Great Britain Police Rugby League squad

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) will provide a third of the playing squad, the captain and the assistant coach when Great Britain Police Rugby League tour Australia in February and March. 

Seven players plus assistant coach James Forster make up the GMP contingent in the tour squad that will play two matches down under.

PC Forster is one of three Tameside officers on the two-week tour with Sgt Ben Marsden, who will captain the side, and Sgt Robert Froggatt. 

The other GMP players are PC Ashley Wildman (Spec Ops), PC Jack Morrison, PC Phil Whitham and PC Ryan Pickles (all City of Manchester), and staff member James Connaughton. 

PC Forster, who has been with GMP for 21 years and played at Saddleworth Rangers, said: “The force team is made up of GMP and Lancashire players, and then we get invited to GB trials to play international matches. 

“We have the highest percentage of players from one force going to Australia, so we are immensely proud. 

“We will be training when we get to Australia for a bit of fine tuning for what will be two very tough games.” 

GB, who leave the UK on 26 February, will play the Australian Police in on 2 March and New South Wales Police on 6 March with both games in Sydney. GB lost 40-6 to NSW in a warm-up game in St Helens in October. 

Sgt Marsden, who is a neighbourhood sergeant in Tameside, played at Oldham and Rochdale, as well as Lancashire U19s, and has been on previous GB tours to the USA and Canada. 

He said: “It’s an absolute privilege to be the captain and it’s an honour to play for Great Britain.  

“I’ve been to Australia but never to play, so really looking forward to it although they will be really tough games.” 

The GB squad is made up of officers and staff from a number of forces including West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Merseyside.

DC Alex Daniels, former team manager from West Yorkshire Police, is in charge of community engagement and media. 

He said: “The matches are being played at the Leichhardt Oval in Sydney, which is one of three grounds used by the professional team Wests Tigers.

“We have been invited to train at the New South Wales centre of excellence, which is where professional NRL sides train, and we have been invited to go out on patrol with the Sydney Harbour Police.

“The Australian Police Rugby League Team are the current police world champions so we are ready for the toughest challenge in police rugby.”

For the latest tour updates keep an eye on https://twitter.com/GBpoliceRL as well as Facebook and Instagram