Old Richians rugby star is playing Aussie Rules for Great Britain

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A RUGBY player from Gloucester has been selected to star for Great Britain – at Australian Rules Football.

Peter Woodall, 25, who plays for Old Richians, played for Great Britain against an Australian Ex-Pats side at Harrow School earlier this month.

Woodall (pictured), who plays centre or wing at rugby, usually plays in the forward line in Australian Rules Football, but, as the tallest member of the GB squad, was selected to play in the ruck against the Ex-Pats side, putting in an impressive performance contesting for the ball in the air against the much taller Ex-Pats side.

His opportunities to play at international level have been limited so far by finances, with the sport being entirely amateur in this country. Now he is finishing his sports development degree at the University of Gloucestershire, Woodall is targeting getting more involved in the Great Britain set-up with the ultimate ambition of being selected to play in the 2018 International Cup in Australia.

He is also planning to use his experience of playing for England and his clubs, plus what he has learned in his degree, to start up an Australian Rules team in Gloucestershire in the future.

“I would love to get some of the rugby boys in the area involved in Aussie Rules as I think they would love it,” he said. “It combines the best elements of so many different sports – the contact of rugby with the movement of basketball and the footwork of football.

“I really enjoy how fast-paced the game is. Playing for Great Britain was a big challenge for me, particularly as I’ve got used to playing nine-a-side in recent years and this was 18-a-side on a cricket pitch. That meant a lot more contact and a lot more bodies around the ball, but I really enjoyed it.

“It was always going to be a big ask against an Australian side but although we lost, it was a great test for the squad and for me personally. It was a great way to start my season.”

Woodall actually started out playing the 18-a-side format when he was on a gap year in Australia in 2008. With very little rugby in the area he was staying in, it was either play Aussie Rules or face a winter with no sport.

So he decided to hook up with Peninsula Pirates Under-19s, and it was certainly a baptism of fire in South Coast Australia’s favourite sport.

“I was feeling pretty confident after a good pre-season but with 36 players on the pitch for my first game, I admit I had no idea what was going on!,” added Woodall. “I came off the bench for the first games and that helped me familiarise myself with the sport and, soon, I was getting selected to start games, which was a real achievement given my inexperience.”

Although he was keen to carry on playing the sport when he returned to the UK later that year, it was 2011 before he became reacquainted with Aussie Rules, joining the Guildford Crows.

He quickly made his mark and after a successful season in the South League, went on to be selected for the South Representative side and then for England.

He played for his country in the Tri Nations Cup and then the EU Cup in Belfast, finishing third out of more than 20 teams.

Finishing as the Crows’ top goalscorer in 2012, Woodall was again selected for England, playing in the Four Nations in Venice, where they triumphed over Scotland, Croatia and Italy.

While he could not afford to travel to the EU Cup in Edinburgh, he did make his first appearance for Great Britain against the Irish Exiles.

In 2013, he moved to Chippenham Redbacks, which was closer to his home in Gloucester and where he could link up with England coach Rob Fielder.

Playing in the Welsh League, they finished as runners-up in the Grand Final and he finished the season as their top goalscorer.

Article source: http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12507/9207782/six-nations-wales-waiting-on-rhys-webb-and-luke-charteris

Old Richians rugby star is playing Aussie Rules for Great Britain