GRIFFITHS NAMES WORLD CUP SQUAD

 

07th June 2013, 14:45

By Gary Baker. Wales Rugby League Communications Manager

CLIVE Griffiths wants to go out of his long association with student rugby league on a high with Wales this year.

Griffiths has selected a 24-man squad for Wales' tilt at the World Cup in July and said: “We are under no pressure.”
Wales reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup in 2008 where they went out to Australia but played well enough for the injured Kangaroos captain, on crutches, to walk in their changing room and congratulate them.

And last year, they played in the Home Nations against England, Scotland and Ireland and gave a good account of themselves.

Griffiths said: “I want the boys who were with us last year to carry on the success from there. We have the nucleus of that squad with us again but it is disappointing that we have lost one or two boys who have left to go to work.

“But we are under no pressure. Australia, New Zealand and England are the favourites going into these tournaments, particularly Australia and New Zealand who had dominated the World Cup since it started.”

Training sessions have been on-going for a while now, and Griffiths said the Welsh squad are coming together nicely.

“We have a 24-man squad and will have to draw on them anyway because the schedule is the most demanding I have ever come across with five games in 12 days. So everyone will play.

“It's all very positive with us. This will be my last Student World Cup as coach and for ninety per cent of the squad, it will be the first and last time they experience it. So I want us to enjoy it and play some good rugby league.”

Wales Student World Cup squad (with university names in brackets)

Backs: L. Weaver(Llandrillo), T.Hughes(Loughborough), P.Evans(Gloucester), J.Gahan(Gloucester), Y.Parker(Gloucester), S.Wright(Cardiff Met), J.Knight(Cardiff Met), C.Bennett (Cardiff Met),, S.Amber(Cardiff Met), J.Morgan(Leeds Met), B.West(Coventry)

Forwards: I.Duffy(Cardiff Met), H.Elliott(Glamorgan), C.Wilkinson(Cardiff Met), V.Coker(Cardiff Met), M.Connor(Glamorgan), O.Griffiths(Leeds Met), L.Singleton (Cardiff Met), M.Ward(Newcastle), M.Wilcox, A.Munns(St Marys), O.Davies(Glamorgan), J.Davies(Cardiff Met), O.Phillips(Glamorgan)
Source : http://www.walesrugbyleague.co.uk