Bradford legend and Keighley rugby chief to tackle England
FORMER Great Britain manager and Bradford and Wigan superstar Ellery Hanley will play a part in England’s preparations for the World Cup by taking charge of the Combined Nations All Stars.
Hanley, 60, who made 38 international appearances for England and Great Britain from 1984 to 1993, will face former Wigan and Leeds team-mate Shaun Wane when the All Stars take on England at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington on Saturday June 18. .
The match, which will be part of a double-header between England and France, was set up to help Wane in his preparations for the season-ending World Cup.
The England wheelchair squad will be in action over the same weekend as they prepare for a World Cup campaign which kicks off at London’s Copper Box in October.
Hanley, a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame who was also the first black man to coach a British national team, succeeds former Australian manager Tim Sheens, who led the All Stars to a 26-24 win over England at the same place last June.
His assistant will be former Scottish hooker Andrew Henderson, now head of rugby at Keighley Cougars, who was also Sheens’ right-hand man.
Dave Rotheram, Rugby Football League Field Director, said: “With a World Cup on the horizon, this is a hugely important year for rugby league and for our three England teams these fixtures will be a important part of the preparations for the tournament.
“It’s also an empty weekend in the domestic calendar, so a fantastic opportunity for fans to support England Rugby League.
“These variations of rugby league, along with the diversity at the heart of the Combined Nations concept, demonstrate how inclusion remains at the heart of our game.”