Rugby league team revealed for Rob Burrow 745 Game including Leeds Rhinos legends
From left to right: Adrian Morley, Keith Senior and Gary Connolly will all star for the rugby league side in this weekend's first '745 Game' at Headingley
The squads have been revealed for this weekend’s historic cross-code ‘745 Game’ at Headingley, and the rugby league side is littered with some absolute icons of the 13-a-side game.
Sunday’s game will be a hybrid of rugby league and rugby union rules.
It was an idea that Rob Burrow and former Leicester and Gloucester rugby union player Ed Slater were developing before Leeds Rhinos legend Burrow passed away in June this year, losing his battle with Motor Neurone Disease aged just 41.
The distinctive name for the match, ‘The 745 Game’, comes from the numbers worn by Burrow (7) and Slater (4) during their player careers along with Scottish rugby union legend Doddie Weir (5), who lost his own battle with MND back in 2022.
Getting underway at 3pm, former stars of both codes will come together for the ground breaking clash, which is hoped could become an annual event to support MND communities across the country.
And with the revealing of the squads, excitement is building even more.
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Rugby league team revealed for Rob Burrow 745 Game including Leeds Rhinos legends
Former Rhinos players Danny McGuire, Kylie Leuluai, Keith Senior, Gareth Ellis and Luke Gale had all already stuck their hand up to take part and have been named in the 24-man squad.
Sunday’s league squad also includes the likes of Adrian Morley – a Super League and NRL champion – and Gary Connolly, a star in both codes whose clubs in league included Wigan, St Helens and Canterbury Bulldogs as well as Leeds.
Elsewhere, Jacques O’Neill will also take to the field. The former Love Island star is currently without a club having departed Castleford Tigers, but has already openly stated his desire to get back into the game.
Meanwhile, union’s star-studded 30-man squad includes Danny Cipriani, Geordan Murphy, Billy Twelvetrees and Matt Banahan.
The full squads for Sunday’s clash can be seen below, with players listed in alphabetical order by forename…
Rugby league squad for ‘745 Game’: Aaron Murphy, Adrian Morley, Anthony Thackeray, Ben Westwood, Bob Beswick, Danny McGuire, Danny Brough, Darrell Griffin, Ewan Dowes, Gareth Ellis, Gary Connolly, Jacques O’Neill, Keith Senior, Kyle Wood, Kylie Leuluai, Luke Ambler, Luke Gale, Matt Diskin, Paul McShane, Ryan Atkins, Scott Murrell, Tom Minns, Wayne Goodwin, Wayne Price
Rugby union squad for ‘745 Game’: Alex Waller, Andy Forsyth, Anthony Allen, Billy Twelvetrees, Ethan Waller, Danny Cipriani, Dom Waldouck, Finlay Stewart, Geordan Murphy, Graham Kitchener, Guy Thompson, Joe Simpson, Josh Matavesi, Johne Murphy, Kian Stewart, Kyle Trainer, Lee Dickson, Matt Banahan, Matt Cornwell, Matt Garvey, Michael Holford, Micky Young, Paddy McAllister, Phil Dowson, Richard Hibbard, Tom Cruse, Tommy Bell, Tom Youngs, Tom Wood, Tom Johnson
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‘745 Game’: The rules
Two referees will take charge at Headingley, league’s Ben Thaler and union’s Frank Murphy, owing to a complex and mixed set of laws.
- 13-a-side – six forwards, seven backs
- Each team can bring on a goal kicker only for kicks at goal
- Unlimited tackles in your own half but six tackles once attacking team passes half way
- Unlimited interchanges
- Uncontested scrums from knock ons and forward passes. These are taken on the 20m mark in from touch, attacking team can select which side of the field scrum is placed
- Uncontested five man line outs when ball goes into touch
- One-on-one ball steals allowed in tackle before attacking ball carrier gets to ground, once knee to ground, tackle complete, play the ball to restart play
- Two markers at tackle, offside is five metres from the play the ball
- Two referees, one union, one league. One officiating the ruck, the other offside
- Five points for a try, two for a penalty, conversion and drop goal
- If the ball is knocked dead in goal, goal line drop out from the defending team, must go at least ten metres
- Penalties kicked to touch re-start with a line out or take tap from where penalty is awarded, advantage for union but encourages league to attack from penalties
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