A WARRINGTON businessman will be competing for England in the Touch Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Chris Hale will be jetting out to Sydney for three weeks on April 10 with the 24-team tournament kicking-off a week later.

Hale, aged 31, a contracts manager for civil engineering firm Cheshire Site Preparations on Woolston Grange, has been selected along with 13 other players from Wigan Touch Rugby Club, which comes under the wing of the Warriors' Super League club.

The former Prescot Panthers Rugby League winger says: "I can't believe my good fortune. This is the opportunity of a life-time and I have only been playing the sport for 12 months. It will be my first time playing for England and my first time going to Australia and I am really excited about it."

Australia are red hot favourites to retain their world champions' tag. It is a major sport down under with one million registered players out of a country population of 18 million. The World Cup will be broadcast live on television in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan with 15 other nations showing highlights on a delayed basis.

A documentary will be made of the England team's three-week stay in Sydney.

Hale says the England side is classed as a developing team but they intend to show the Aussies that there has been a marked improvement in the game over here.

England players, who will be staying in five star hotels in Australia, have been in full training together for 4.5 months to prepare for this tournament and they are all on special diets and cut alcohol consumption to a minimum.

He says: "We're taking it very seriously indeed. We don't want to go out there and be disgraced. The idea is to show them how much we have improved and to warn them to watch their backs in four years' time at the next World Cup."

Touch is about to take off in big style within schools and colleges around Great Britain due to its wide-ranging appeal.

He says: "The game follows Rugby League rules but there is no tackling. It is aimed at introducing children to rugby. Some parents don't like their children to get involved in the tackling but touch is great for them.

"It is user-friendly. Women like to play it, there are mixed teams. It is great for fitness, ball handling skills and is very fast.

The Women's World Cup will be running concurrently with the men's.

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