Last updated at 12:38, Thursday, 29 November 2012

Whitehaven will be crossing the Channel for a pre-season joust in France.

Barry Richardson

The club has accepted the invitation to play a pre-season friendly against Carcassonne, the reigning French champions, on Friday, January 25.

It comes one week before the big Championship kick-off at home to York City Knights and promises to be a warm-up in more ways than one – some welcome sun on the backs for the players but also on the pitch as Carcassonne with their season already under way will present a formidable challenge.

And if a new-look Haven can breach the champion’s ramparts in one of France’s main fortified towns it will give new coach Dave Woods a good idea of what is starting line up might be for the opening fixture against York, one of his old clubs.

Haven chief executive Barry Richardson said: “Carcassonne have a blank weekend and we are delighted to accept their invitation.

“It will be a tough test for the team – but it’s just what we want a week before taking on York. Carcassonne are obviously a very good side with the likes of ex-St Helens star Vinnie Anderson. We’ve got a few new players so it will also be a good opportunity for team building.

“Not only that but a chance to build a relationship between the two clubs with the possibility of player exchanges and hopefully Carcassonne coming to play us at Whitehaven next year.”

Any Haven fans interested in making the trip – the team will fly from Liverpool on January 24 – should contact the club.

First published at 12:34, Thursday, 29 November 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk