Rugby League: Scotland stages extra match

SUPER LEAGUE wants to beef up the game's efforts north of the border by staging a match on the same weekend as the ground-breaking Challenge Cup final at Murrayfield next year.

The Rugby League will stage the final in Edinburgh in April 2000, when Wembley is in the process of demolition and rebuilding. Now Super League is looking to move one of the Bank Holiday weekend's scheduled matches to Scotland.

Both organisations stress the match would complement, not compete with, the game's biggest domestic occasion.

Super League took the match between the Bradford Bulls and the London Broncos to Tynecastle Park in Edinburgh last year and a crowd of more than 7,000 was one of the more encouraging aspects of the campaign of taking games far and wide.

The competition still has to decide whether to take games to new locations this year, although Super League's newly-appointed football director, Gary Hetherington, has come out strongly in favour of a repeat performance.

Super League's new club, Gateshead Thunder, could win a trophy in their first match, the friendly at Castleford next Friday. Avec Sportswear, who supply both clubs with clothing, have agreed to provide prize money and a trophy for the game.

Salford's match against Lancashire Lynx tomorrow has been switched from Preston's Deepdale to Victory Park in Chorley.

St Helens' summer signing from Halifax, Freddie Tuilagi, looks set to miss tomorrow's friendly against Swinton Lions at Knowsley Road. Saints have still not received final work permit clearance.

First Division Bramley made their third Super League signing yesterday, the Western Samoan utility player Maea David from Hull Sharks.

Halifax's Jamie Bloem has been cleared to play in the friendly against Wigan on 3 February. Bloem was sent off for an alleged dangerous tackle during Halifax's New Year's Day defeat at Huddersfield.