Radley Selected for BARLA Great Britain Lions

Tom Radley expects his Great Britain team to teach opponents from the “girls’ game” a proper lesson in rugby.

Tom, 26, from Sigston Road, Beverley, has been selected to play for the BARLA Great Britain Lions in the prestigious IRB Dubai 7s rugby union tournament this week.

The West Hull second-rower earned a late call-up to the 12-man squad of amateur rugby league players who will take on union teams from around the world in the Open event of the tournament. It supports the world-renowned main tournament, which boasts teams from the top rugby union-playing nations.

Although he professes never to have played union – and is not quite au fait with the complicated rules of the game – he hopes his side can emulate Wigan’s great Twickenham 7s team of the 1990s and claim a major union crown.

Tom told HU17.net: “I only got called up for it two weeks ago, so it’s all still a bit of a blur to be honest.

“It was a bit of a surprise call-up really. When they rung me up to tell me I had been selected I thought someone was winding me up, but now I just can’t wait to go.

“I’ve never played rugby union before – I think it’s a bit of a girls’ game, to be honest! – so I will have to brush up on the rules a bit.

“The team did well last year, I think they got to the quarter-finals. We have got to go out there and do our best and hopefully come back with a winners’ medal.

“The lads are confident so we are going out there with a bit more knowledge, aiming to do better than last year and do rugby league proud.”

It’s been a rapid rise through the ranks for the former Longcroft School pupil.

Although he played league as a youngster, he only started playing again four years ago in a bid to stay fit. He received a late call-up from Beverley ARLC, enjoyed it and believed he could play at a higher level. He moved to National Conference Premier League giants West Hull, starting on the wing before playing in the second row.

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He recently received his call-up for Yorkshire, scoring a try in the 32-4 defeat of Cumbria in the county Tri-Counties series last weekend, and seems ideally placed as a winger-cum-forward to thrive in the brutally-quick world of rugby 7s.

Tom continued: “I can’t wait for it. The last few weeks have been a bit of a blur and it has taken time to sink in, but when I started getting my case ready it all became a bit more real. I just can’t wait to start now and am really excited about it.

“It will be good to see a new country and meet some new people – I haven’t really played with many of the lads going out there and have only met a handful – so it is going to be a real experience.

“I haven’t even trained with the squad, although I have been on Yorkshire duty with some of them, as it has been such a late call-up. So I don’t know anything about the rules and am going with an open mind, aiming to get stuck in and do my best really.

“There will be a lot to gain for me – just going out there and playing a new form of rugby is exciting.

“It’s going to be a testing week I think – especially as I just don’t tan very well!”