Chambers to Make Rugby League Debut

Dwain Chambers is set to make his rugby league debut in a specially-arranged friendly match for Castleford's reserve team against York on Sunday week.

The 30-year-old sprinter is more than halfway through his four-week trial with the Tigers, and seemed set to be denied the chance to experience a match situation with the club having no senior academy fixtures until May. But the Rugby Football League confirmed today that they have granted Castleford permission to hold a friendly match against York at the Jungle on April 27.

The operational rules that would prevent Chambers playing in a senior game without first being cleared by the RFL's performance department do not apply to reserve team matches, so the only hurdle he now has to clear is the cog-sport test that all players must pass before taking the field for a professional club.

Chambers' appearance will not be watched by Castleford's coach Terry Matterson who will be returning from the Tigers' Super League game against Catalans Dragons in Perpignan the previous night.