Dewsbury Celtic live Rugby League World Cup dream

Rugby League World Cup fever arrived at a community club in Dewsbury when England and St Helens star Alex Walmsley returned to his old stomping ground to pass on tips to the next generation of talent.

Dewsbury Celtic’s under eights and under 11s teams were the recipients of a training session from the England player after winning a nationwide grassroots competition organised by Selco as part of our Rugby League World Cup partnership.

As well as being put through their paces by Alex, the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair World Cup trophies were on display at Dewsbury Celtic’s home pitches on Crow Nest Park, in Boothroyd Lane.

Alex, who has recently been ruled out of the Rugby League World Cup through injury, said: “It was a great night and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the youngsters and watching them show off their rugby league skills.

“It was a special occasion for me because I started my rugby league career at Dewsbury Celtic. It’s a club that is very close to my heart and it was great to go back and see how things are progressing.

“It was a fantastic competition and prize organised by Selco. The next few weeks are a real chance for the sport of rugby league to shine and promote itself and initiatives like this play a huge part in helping achieve that.

“There were some really talented young players on display during the training session and hopefully I was able to give them one or two additional tips to think about.”

The competition saw grassroots clubs across the UK invited to submit applications to win the prize, which also included £2,000 worth of building materials from Selco, tickets to a Rugby League World Cup match, new strips for a team within the club and a signed England shirt.

Clive Senior, chairman of Dewsbury Celtic, said: “The training session was a fantastic night.

“To have the World Cup trophies on display and Alex – who is one of the big success stories of the club’s history – return made it a night to remember for a long time for everyone involved.

“We would like to thank Selco for all the different elements of the prize. The £2,000 worth of building materials will be used to refurbish our changing rooms for our new girls team and will make a real difference to the club.”

Carine Jessamine, marketing director at Selco, said: “We had dozens of fantastic entrants from grassroots rugby league clubs across the UK but Dewsbury Celtic really stood out.

“It’s a real hub of the community and provides inclusive sporting opportunities for all.

“We are delighted to have provided them with a prize which will create memories and make a real difference with the building of changing rooms for the new girls team.”