Former Castleford and England star, Paul McShane 34, lines up against rugby union rivals in 745 Game raising money for MND at Headingley
Former Castleford and England star, Paul McShane 34, lines up against rugby union rivals in 745 Game raising money for MND at Headingley Former Castleford and England star, Paul McShane 34, lines up against rugby union rivals in 745 Game raising money for MND at Headingley
Former England hooker Paul McShane’s only ever “messed about” at rugby union but can’t wait to take on some of the code’s best.
The ex-Leeds and Castleford star is one of the rugby league greats who lines up in the inaugural 745 Game at Headingley on Sunday. The hybrid version of rugby combines elements of league and union and aims to raise money for various motor neurone disease causes. The distinctive name of the match comes from the numbers worn by ex-Rhinos star Rob Burrow (7), who sadly died from MND in June, ex-Leicester lock Slater (4), who is currently battling the disease and came up with the idea, and Scottish rugby union legend Doddie Weir who passed two years ago after his own fight with the debilitating condition.
Former Man of Steel McShane, who turns 35 on Tuesday, said: “I’ve never played union. I might have had one little mess-about game with my friends at Corinthians, a club near where I grew up in Leeds, when I was about 14. But I didn’t know what I was doing, really. I just ran and kicked the ball. I watched a lot, though, especially when the Six Nations was on. And now I’m up against Danny Cipriani… Hopefully he doesn’t come near me as he’s got good footwork hasn’t he?”
Maverick former England No10 Cipriani is one of many union stars making an appearance in a game organisers hope will become an annual event. McShane, who has just joined Championship part-timers York after finishing a brilliant Super League career, started out at Rhinos and played alongside the iconic Burrow, who developed the 745 Game idea with Slater before his sad passing.
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He recalled: “As a kid coming through, Rob was one of the first people to put his arm around me. Even after I left Leeds he was messaging me, giving me praise, building up my confidence and he was just an all-round legend bloke. It shows, not just with what he did in rugby, but away from it as well.”
Many of Burrow’s fellow Rhinos’ ‘golden generation’ team-mates will turn out on Sunday including Keith Senior, Danny McGuire and Kylie Leuluai. Luke Gale, who helped Castleford finish top alongside McShane in 2017, will also play. McShane, who starts work as an air conditioning engineer on Monday, admitted: “I am looking forward to it. It’ll be great to play alongside some old team-mates, against some rugby union greats and just to be able to play my part in the event.
“Being full-time before, you don’t really get a chance to be able to play a big part in it so just to be invited and to be able to play in the game itself, I’m honoured. Hopefully it’s a great day and we get Headingley packed out.”
Mirror – Sport
