WAKEFIELD TRINITY will break new ground by staging a rugby union international.
Zimbabwe will take on Samoa in the second phase of the Nations Cup at the DIY Kitchens Stadium on Saturday, November 7 (3.00pm).
The historic venue, redeveloped over recent years, staged club rugby union as Belle Vue between the ground’s creation in the 1870s and the formation of the Northern Union, of which Trinity were original members, in 1895.
Over the years, the venue which hosted an England versus Wales Rugby League international in 1909 (England won 19-13), the 1923 Challenge Cup final in which Leeds beat Hull FC 28-3 and a 2016 meeting of Wales and Jamaica (a 16-16 draw), has also staged cycling, athletics, lacrosse and football.
Union’s more senior Nations Championship and Nations Cup are designed to help teams prepare for next year’s 24-team union World Cup in Australia.
Each tournament features twelve sides split into two geographically-based pools. Every team play the six in the other section once.
The first phase, in which each team played three times, took place in July.
France and South Africa top their respective Nations Championship pools (England are third in the European group) while USA and Georgia currently top the two Nations Cup pools, each with three wins from three.
Samoa are third in their section and Zimbabwe sixth.