Gilchrist’s prop art is a heavy metal hit

Liam Gilchrist: hoping Roughyeds will fly this year.

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Oldham RL star sculpting an impressive career
AS a 17-stone rugby player, Liam Gilchrist has had to tackle his fair share of stick from Oldham RL Club team-mates for his love of art.

The prop-forward is in the first year of his contemporary fine art Masters at Salford University after earning a degree in the subject at the University of Central Lancashire.

After experimenting with different materials, Wigan-based Gilchrist has found his passion in making items out of metal.

His chosen path could not be much further removed from the rugby player stereotype but the 22-year-old is enjoying his education so much, he is happy to side-step any joshing that comes his way.

“I must admit, I started off making only sculptures and nothing else, simply because it is more manly than going back to the lads and telling them about a picture,” said the likeable former St Helens front-rower, who stands at 6ft 2in.

“These days I take it all in my stride anyway.”

Gilchrist managed to fuse his two worlds when he spent two months making a rugby tackle out of metal.

“They were two full-size men — that was one of my early pieces. It took up quite a lot of my time and I was happy with the end result at the time, but I have improved since then,” he explained.

A more recent addition to the collection, of which Gilchrist is much more proud, is a heron.

He added: “It is a metre-and-a-half high and one metre wide, with its wings open.

“I submitted it into an open art competition and it was on display in St Helens.”

If all goes to plan, Gilchrist is keen to pass on his knowledge in future years.

He continued: “At the end of my current studies, which last two years, I would like to do a teacher training course. That is certainly the aim, anyway.”

As for on-the-pitch matters, Gilchrist believes failure is not an option for Tony Benson’s Roughyeds next season.

“We simply have to go up this season now the rules allow four sides to gain promotion,” he added.