CUMBRIA are set to take on Wales in a specially-organised testimonial game for retiring forward Kyle Amor.
The former St Helens stalwart hung up his boots at the end of 2023 following a short spell with Widnes Vikings, but now he is set to take to the field one last time in an exciting fixture with John Kear’s Wales.
Alongside Amor will be Leeds Rhinos man James Donaldson, who recently signed a new one-year deal with the Headingley outfit.
Donaldson, 32, hails from Whitehaven just like Amor and the two will be on the same side later this month.
“James Donaldson, he’ll make his first appearance for Cumbria,” Amor said on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
” Morgan Knowles, I know he’s desperate to play for Cumbria as well, but he’s on that level now where he’s international and it makes it difficult for him to do that. But, we’re really, really proud people of where we’re from.
“I’ve always wanted Cumbria and top-flight rugby to come up to Cumbria. I’ve said it for years, but the appetite for the game is still very much there.”
Amor went further, explaining how rugby league is still truly alive in the north-west.
“The fact is that when even Scotland played in the Four Nations, we got five and six thousand there,” Amor explained.
“The amateur clubs when you go up there, all the fans around there are either wearing an amateur club or NRL or Super League tops.
“And whenever top flight rugby goes there, the crowds come out for it so there’s an appetite there and that’s what I’m trying to grab hold of really.
“We’ve spoken about how we want to try and make Cumbria Rugby League a genuine fixture for some of these emerging nations or these lower-tier nations if you like.
“We’ve got Italy, Serbia, Ireland, Scotland, Wales; I genuinely think that they’ll get more out of it playing Cumbria in Cumbria, an experience for the heartland of the game, loads of fans come out and want to be associated with it and for those teams rather than play in England and getting 60 points put on them.”
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