There'll be a decidedly Newcastle flavour to tonights rugby sevens match between England and Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games, as each side boasts a Newcastle University student among their lineup.
Harry Glover, a second year Politics and Economics student, and Rhodri Adamson, who graduated from Newcastle in 2016, will go head to head in the opening match of Pool B, which also features Samoa and Australia.
Both have represented Newcastle University Rugby Football Club but will now find themselves on opposite sides of the pitch. The match is scheduled to begin just before 1am UK time, with the rest of the group stages played out over the course of Saturday. The winner of each of the four groups will go through to the semi-finals.
Adamson played in Australia for six months before joining Newcastle University, but is eligible to represent Jamaica through his Kingston-born mother.
Adamson said: “I can't wait to play against the top rugby sevens nation in the world.”
Not forgetting his university days, however, he added: “Hopefully the atmosphere can't replicate something like the Clash of the Titans varsity games.”
[pullquote]“It is a huge honour to be selected to represent Team England.”[/pullquote]Glover's speciality may be as a centre in the sevens, but he has also excelled in the larger form of the game. He makes frequent appearances in Newcastle University's first team and was shortlisted for the Courier Sport's Team Newcastle Sports Personality of the Year in 2017, in part for his commitment to coaching as well as playing.
Glover's younger brother Will is also an emerging star of the rugby sevens scene, and has followed Harry from Harrow School to Newcastle University. Together they were part of the England side that came second in the World Rugby Sevens Series last year.
Ahead of his Commonwealth Games debut, Glover said: “Although I have played many tournaments for the England Sevens team on the World Sevens Series, this will be my first multi-sport event. I am really excited to be part of a bigger team and cannot wait to get to the village and meet the other athletes.”
He added: “It is a huge honour to be selected to represent Team England.”
England will face Adamson and the rest of the Jamaica team at 12:51 on Saturday morning, UK time, before both teams play against Samoa and Australia later in the morning. The top placed team in the pool will progress to Sunday's semi-finals and medal matches, while the remaining teams will go into playoffs for the 5-8 places.