A FORMER reality TV contestant has been named as a member of a Cumbria rugby league squad which will face Jamaica next month.
Jacques O'Neill, who attended Dowdales School and competed on ITV's Love Island earlier this year, will join a largely dominated by Barrow Raiders, Whitehaven and Workington contingent in the Cumbria Rugby League squad which will play on October 7.
O'Neill, the only player currently unattached to a squad, will relish the chance to be back out on the pitch after his release by Castleford Tigers to appear on the popular show earlier this year.
Speaking to BBC Radio Cumbria, head coach Paul Crarey said: "Jacques is definitely a Cumbrian and he would be an option if he wanted to play.
"He would probably bring people in to watch, and raise the profile of Cumbrian rugby league.
"He's finished Love Island now, he's a Cumbrian lad as I know him from his junior days and he'd pull a few in on the day if we can get him involved."
Cumbria's last outing as a rugby league side was in a narrow defeat to England Knights in 2011, and their return will see them take the field at Workington's Derwent Park in a World Cup warm-up match for Reggae Warriors.
Nine Barrow Raiders players have made the squad, which is led by Raiders' head coach Paul . He has picked Tee Ritson, Luke Cresswell, Ryan Shaw, Brett Carter, Jake Carter, Ryan Johnson, Ellis Gillam, Connor Saunders, and Tom Hopkins to travel with him.
They will play alongside Jamie Doran, Connor Fitzsimmons, Stevie Scholey, and Jordan Thomson of Workington Town, as well as Andrew Bulman, Curtis Teare, Tom Walker, Luke Broadbent, Perry Singleton and Liam McAvoy of Whitehaven.
From outside the county, Barrow's Brad Singleton, who is currently plying his trade with Wigan Warriors, and Brad Walker, of Wakefield Trinity, are in the squad.
While Sam Halsall and Harvie Hill will be joining Singleton from Wigan and Kyle Amor from St. Helens; and Gregg McNally from Rochdale Hornets.
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