Making waves

Former Oldham St Anne’s prop James Shaw. Picture: SBS Photography

RUGBY: JAMES Shaw is set to travel the world in the Royal Navy... but first he faces a challenge much closer to home.

The 19-year-old former Oldham St Anne’s prop forward is set to take his place in the Navy side which goes head-to-head with Saddleworth Rangers in the first round of the Challenge Cup in Portsmouth on Saturday.

For Shaw’s dad Terry, it will be a special day, too. As a former Rangers player who scored the

winning try in the BNFL National Cup final against Hensingham in 1993, he is travelling down on a coach from Greenfield.

“I know it’s a game he is really looking forward to and so am I,” said Terry. “I suppose there will be split loyalties on my part, too!”

James passed his final examinations last October and the lad from Royton, a former pupil at North Chadderton and Hopwood Hall, is now a fully qualified weapons engineer.

It may be as late as May when he finds out where he will be posted to first. But for now, he is concentrating on training for rugby of both codes.

The focus of the former Saints under-18s prospect is currently on getting one over on Rangers to make it into round two of the Challenge Cup.

“He knows one or two of the Saddleworth lads,” Terry added. “Jack Connor is a friend of his and I used to play alongside Jack’s dad Darren at Rangers. He has done really well already down there and I am proud of him.”