CC Report 2001 Royal Air Force 40 UWIC 13

By Mark Tattersall

UNIVERSITY of Wales Institute Cardiff were bombed out of rugby league’s Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Challenge Cup by the RAF yesterday.

The students, reigning British Universities champions, proved no match for the reigning Inter-Services Cup holders as they shipped 40 points in their first-round tie at RAF Holton, near Aylesbury.

It is the second successive year Wales’s only Challenge Cup entrants have fallen at the first hurdle, having been beaten at home by National Conference side Askam a year ago.

Wales Students, meanwhile, could have as many as eight players on Great Britain duty next week after their impressive showing against Queensland Students at Treorchy last weekend.

The Australian side finish their British tour in Hull next week, when they play Emerging GB Students at Hull KR’s Craven Park on Tuesday and then the full GB Students side – billed as the Academic Lions – at Hull FC’s Boulevard ground on Friday.

Queensland won 26-12 at Treorchy, but were impressed by a second-half fightback that saw Wales run in three tries.

Wales have five players in the full GB squad – Rich Singleton, Alex Taylor, Aled James, Jon Breakingbury and Graham Hughes – while Matt Cannon, Sion Williams and Wales skipper Mark Dando are in the emerging squad.

Some players are expected to appear in both games, with full-back Cannon and stand-off James already earmarked from the Welsh contingent.