This fixture confirms the on going development of the relationship between the two codes and can only be to the benefit of Rugby across the Service. For the RU squad the fixture comes in the preparations for the RN v Army clash at Twickenham and takes the players to a certain extent out of their comfort zone whilst giving them a run out with an obvious edge. For the League side it is a great chance to get back into action after the bitter disappointment of the loss to the Wizards at the weekend. RU Head Coach Lt Cdr Geraint Ashton-Jones has agreed to release his ‘cross-code’ players from the RU camp to join up with the league squad with the game being played under Rugby League Rules.

Whilst this is a unique fixture at this level there are two previous instances of service Rugby teams playing cross code fixtures. The Official history of Headingley Stadium in Leeds explains that
‘Headingley has always been associated with some of the more unusual moments in rugby league history and during the First World War Leeds played three games against a Royal Navy team from Plymouth. In 1917, the two sides played under rugby union rules and the following year there was one of each. The men from the South won all three games. The earlier experiment with league and union was repeated during the Second World War on 23rd January 1943 when the Northern Command Rugby Union and Rugby League teams met at Headingley with rugby union rules applied. There was a crowd of 8,000 there to see the RL team win 18-11.’

The last major top level instance of RL and RU coming together was in the mid 90’s (95 or 96 not sure so happy to be corrected by fellow anoraks – Ed) when Wigan and Bath met for two matches at their respective home grounds as a bit of a publicity for Sky TV ahead of the launch of Super League. Both teams were at the height of the powers and they each won their respective home games under their favoured rules. To be picky the fact that a RU try is worth more points than a RL equivalent Wigan won on number of try’s scored!

The Bradford Bulls anorak's will probably be on the phone now to tell us all that the Bull's actually won a major RU 7’s trophy (was it the Middlesex 7’s) after the Wigan Bath clashes in the days when Robbie and Henry Paul were still in Rugby League

The match will be staged at RN Rugby HQ, Burnaby Road Portsmouth on Thursday 3rd March with kick off at 1900. Further detail and confirmation to be posted here when available.