Warrington Wolves players are often in high demand at an international level, going on to represent England, Wales, and Scotland on the global stage. Here’s a look at some highlights of international tournaments, as well as the latest international news for current Wolves players.
Billy Cunliffe
One of the earliest Wolves who gained recognition on an international level was William “Billy” Cunliffe. His career spanned the 1910s through the 1930s, during which time he played on the club level for Warrington and became a Warrington Wolves Hall of Fame inductee. Cunliffe was part of the England and Great Britain national teams. He was selected for both the 1920 and 1924 Great Britain Lions tour around Australia and New Zealand. Highlights include winning caps for Great Britain in numerous games against Australia and New Zealand during this time period. Cunliffe also won caps for England during his time at Warrington in matches against Wales, Australia, and Other Nationalities. Notably for Wolves fans, he was part of the team for the Championship final during the 1925-1926 season, where unfortunately the team was defeated by Wigan.
Adrian Morley
He may have just retired at the end of the 2015 season, but Adrian Morley has left a long shadow on the sport in his illustrious international career. Morley played for Leeds Rhinos, Sydney Roosters, and Bradford Bulls before he joined the Warrington Wolves, winning caps for England and Great Britain along the way. Morley went on to help win the 2009, 2010, and 2012 Challenge Cups with the Wolves after signing with the team in 2006. Despite injuries including a fractured eye socket and cheekbones in 2006, Morley captained the Great Britain team facing off against France in 2007. He also joined the England Squad and played in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, playing against Wales during this tournament. Morley’s 50th international appearance when he played for England in the 2011 Four Nations Tournament, making it all the way to the final. He joined 4 other teammates including current England team superstar Chris Hill for the Autumn Internationals in 2012.
Kevin Ellis
Welsh superstar Kevin Ellis proudly represented both the Warrington Wolves and Wales during his career, spanning the 1980s to the 2000s. He won caps for Wales in 1991 in a match against Papua New Guinea, before going on to play matches against France and England in 1992. Ellis took part in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup, where the team squared off with France, Western Samoa, as well as England. He also played for the Great Britain team during his time at Warrington, winning a cap for Great Britain in 1991 in a game against France. On the back of this, Ellis was selected for the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand. His time at Warrington was no less fruitful, helping Warrington to defeat Bradford Northern 12-2 in the Regal Trophy final of 1990-1991.
Paul Sculthorpe
Although he’s most often associated with St. Helens, Paul Scunthorpe started off at Warrington and won caps for England and Great Britain during his time there. This burly stand-off half back won the Man of Steel Award for his iron constitution, playing against France and Wales as part of the England squad in 1996 and against Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and New Zealand as part of the Great Britain squad.
Current International Players
A number of today’s Wolves can be seen playing in international tournaments. The 2016 Four Nations is a prime example, with many players representing their national teams. Chris Hill and Daryl Clarke were on the England squad, while Matthew Russell put in a strong showing for Scotland during the Four Nations campaign. He scored a try during the game against his teammates playing for England, while also participating in the historic 18-18 draw against New Zealand. Chris Hill is another high-profile international rugby star. He made his debut for the international England team in the 2012 Autumn International Series, before playing in all five matches during the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. Ben Currie’s stellar performance for Warrington hasn’t gone unnoticed by international leagues either. He played for Ireland during the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, but after a great 2015 Super League season he was picked up by England coach Steve McNamara.
In terms of the latest Rugby news, you can see the England team’s Wolves players square off against Australia in the Autumn Internationals. Meanwhile, the Warrington Wolves look forward to kicking off next year’s Super League with a bang by playing the Catalans Dragons on February 11th, in the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan. Many of the Wolves’ most internationally-minded players will feature.
