Navy sides to play Armistice Series opener at Trinity

Royal Navy skipper and Petty Officer Aircraft Engineer Ben Taylor (right) with Australian player Daniel Harris (left).

The Royal Australian Navy’s rugby league team have travelled to the UK to take on their counterparts from the Royal Navy in a three-match series, which kicks-off with a clash in Wakefield tomorrow, Saturday.

The Armistice Challenge Cup series will be played against the backdrop of the centenary commemorations and with huge support from the Royal British Legion, who are the primary sponsors of the series.

The Royal Navy side will be led by local lad Ben Taylor, who played for Stanley Rangers before joining the Senior Service.

Taylor, the man behind ‘Yorkshire Prose’ on social media, also has an ambassador role with the British Legion, helping to highlight the charity’s work in supporting veterans of all conflicts.

The clash between the two naval teams rekindles rivalries from 2014 when the Royal Navy took on their Australian and New Zealand opponents in a Tri Nations tournament in Australia.

Since their arrival, the Australian Navy side, known as the Tridents, have spent some time in Portsmouth, acclimatising to the UK weather.

They met with the Royal Navy squad for a photo call on board the Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Victory to offer a view of the teams’ specially commissioned competition kit.

The first game of the series in Wakefield kicks-off on Saturday at 1pm. Entry is free but contributions to the Royal British Legion would be gratefully received.

The final two matches will be played on November 7 and 10, at the Royal Navy team’s Burnaby Road base, in Portsmouth.

More information can be found on the website at www.royalnavyrugbyleague.com