RUGBY league fan Richard Woodward has gone into business to support his home team Warrington Wolves.

The banker, who works at MBNA Europe in Chester has designed and marketed a rugby league board game Trytime, that is being manufactured in China and is set to hit the shops by Christmas.

Mr Woodward, aged 38 from Stockton Heath, first had the idea for the game after visiting the Warrington Wolves club shop four-and-a-half years ago.

"I wanted to give the club some much-needed financial support," said Mr Woodward "but had already bought everything they had on sale. I had the season ticket and rugby shirt and stationery. There was nothing catering for the hardcore rugby league fan."

He tested his first blueprint on his five-year-old son Thomas, who told him it was "rubbish". Almost two years later and after fine-tuning the design, he was ready to speak to manufacturers.

The game combines board and card game elements. In the first stage, players roll die to work their way around a board collecting players and building up their team. In the second stage, teams go head-to-head in a card-game play-off similar to whist.

"You don't have to be a hardcore rugby league fan to enjoy the game," said Mr Woodward.

"There's something in it for everyone. The whole family can play."

A shipment of 12,000 games will arrive in rugby league club shops across the country by the end of November.

Mr Woodward has already drawn up rugby union and American football versions of the game, which he is hoping launch at the Warrington Wolves shop in October.

He said; "I hope this will give the club the financial boost that it needs."