Shotts rugby league player with passion for trucks hits the road with young Scotland squad
Jamie Steven was named for the under-16 international team
A Shotts schoolboy has been selected to represent Scotland's under-16s at rugby league.
Jamie Steven, an S4 pupil at St Aidan's High in Wishaw, travelled to Newcastle at the weekend to take part in an international tournament.
Despite being a relative minority sport in Scotland, professional players ply their trade in a number of leagues across the world.
Jamie, 15, is currently training with the Glasgow Rugby League club, who play in Cambuslang. The teenager has played rugby union since the age of four years old, he then joined Dalziel Rugby Club in 2017.
Jamie's love for rugby came from dad Bryan who played for Kilmarnock RFC from age 14, represented Glasgow at under-16, under-18 and under-21 and also played for Scotland under-21s.
Jamie moved to Kilmarnock Rugby Club in 2020 but earlier this year his dad spotted an advertisement about a rugby league trial for players in Scotland and Jamie went along with hundreds of other hopefuls.
Jamie's mum Leanne, said: 'There's a guy based in Liverpool and has Scottish heritage through his parents. He just thought there was a gap here and decided that because Scotland didn't have a rugby league presence he wanted to create international teams for all age groups.
"Jamie went along to the trial, there were about 300 there and they whittled it down. Eventually, he was chosen for the Scotland national squad. So he's now playing for Scotland. There's also a four-nations squad as well.
'For their age-group it's really big stuff to be out their singing the national anthem and competing in huge stadiums.'
Jamie now also trains with Glasgow Rugby League as well as continuing to play rugby union with Kilmarnock.
He said: 'I'm really enjoying playing rugby league, but I'm still playing both at the moment. I've also got a training session next week down in Wakefield.
'I've only been playing since just before December but rugby league is quicker than rugby union, if you tackle you can hold on for longer and there's a bit more running involved. There are scrums in rugby league but there's no pushing, so that's another difference.
'The crossover for me between the two has been fine though, it's just a few rules with tackling and things like that are a bit difficult but once you're used to it that's it."
Leanne is hoping that a local business may be able to help sponsors Jamie, whose interest away from the sport is dominated by trucks.
She added: 'We're just back from a truck show in Lincoln at the weekend. If it's not rugby, it's trucks. He loves everything to do with trucks and truck-spotting.
'There's a couple of big haulage companies in Shotts where we live and he's written to them for sponsorship.
'He needs money for rugby league subscriptions and insurances, and as the sport doesn't have a big presence in Scotland there is no one funding it. Everything that's happening is in England and he needs to pay for travel and accommodation.
"We have bought all his kit and sponsor him with what we can and family and friends are helping, but he'd love it if one of the haulage companies would help sponsor him.'
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