Great Britain’s return to international rugby league finally confirmed

GREAT Britain’s comeback tour – which SunSport has detailed – has finally been confirmed.

The Lions will play Tonga and New Zealand twice in New Zealand before heading to Papua New Guinea in the Autumn.

SunSport revealed the trip had been cut to four matches, with proposed clashes against Fiji and Samoa being cut for cost reasons.

But the tour has been given the go-ahead.

It will be the first time Great Britain have played since the home series against New Zealand in the autumn of 2007. It will also be their first appearance in the southern hemisphere since the 2006 Tri-Series.

England boss Wayne Bennett will be the head coach of Great Britain, for which players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are eligible.

The exact schedule – when and where games are – will be revealed in New Zealand overnight with further details to come in the coming weeks.

But Bennett is excited to be leading Great Britain on their re-birth, saying: “It’s an honour to be involved in the revival of the Great Britain team as head coach.

“I’ve coached against them in the past with Australia and wherever you’re from in the world of rugby league, that Great Britain jersey is a famous one.

“I’m sure the current generation of players will be excited by the prospect of wearing it and representing their country in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

“It’s an exciting prospect for international rugby league and good to have that Great Britain tradition back.”

Ralph Rimmer, the chief executive of the Rugby Football League, said: “The return of the famous Great Britain jersey is something people have been talking about for a long time – so this is an exciting announcement for us.

“It’s 12 years since Great Britain last played a Test and 13 since they last travelled to the southern hemisphere, for the Tri-Nations series of 2006.

“While the development of the England Performance Unit has been a priority and a success for the RFL – and will continue to be as we build towards the 2021 Rugby League World Cup – there is such history and tradition around that Great Britain shirt.”

Many of last year’s England squad are likely to be included in the Great Britain party when it is named.

But players from the other home nations are also in the running, including Scotland’s Lachlan Coote, Wales’ Ben Flower and Regan Grace and Ireland’s Michael McIlorum.