Wales Students will take on South Wales Jets in a memorial game for Gabriel Holt this Saturday 11 May at the Caerphilly Centre of Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach (kick-off 2pm).
Both sides are preparing for their respective summer campaigns, Wales Students for the Four Nations in the England, whilst the Jets will be looking to retain their WRL Men’s League title.
The Jets are organising the match and their chairman Liam Price said: “This is a match we wanted to stage for a couple of reasons. One is that both sides needed a good run-out before our respective campaigns, the other is that we wanted to pay tribute to Gabe who was a valuable member of the Wales squad. I’m sure we’ll do him justice with a competitive game played in good spirits.”
Wales Students will also be using this match to launch their 40th anniversary season. The first full Wales Students international was on Saturday 8 December 1984 which was against England Students. Wales had previously played matches against England Colleges.
Their head coach Craig Fisher said: “We have a tough test coming up against an established and technically sound team in the South Wales Jets. We will have 18 players from our playing squad and a couple of trialists coming in for us to look at.
“The initial purpose of the game was to get our lads match ready for the upcoming Four Nations, but it has now taken on a greater importance as it will now serve as a game to honour Gabriel Holt who was in our squad and who tragically passed away last month at the age of just 21.
“The game I’m sure will be played in the right spirit, and we hope to raise some much-deserved money for the MND Foundation which is Chris and Michelle Holt’s charity of choice.
“We are, as a group intent on righting the wrongs of 2023, putting a marker down as it is the 40th year of the students programme, I personally want to go out on top as this being my last year as part of Wales RL and finally to remember our friend and brother Gabe”.
Entry is £5 for adults, U16 free. Entertainment will be provided at Penallta RFC, which is next door to the stadium in Ystrad Mynach, following the match.