AUSTEN BARROWCLOUGH is about to play international rugby league – for Serbia!
The 18-year-old from Netherton flies out on Sunday for a week’s training camp in Belgrade ahead of an eight-team European Championship tournament to be held in the Czech Republic, just outside Prague.
After that, he’s been invited to join up with the senior Serbian squad for the Euro Med Cup, when they play the Lebanon in Beirut and Russia in Belgrade after a warm-up match against the New South Wales Universities from Australia.
Barrowclough, a hooker or half back who is playing at stand-off for Newsome Panthers open-age side – he has come through their Under 17 and 18 ranks – qualifies through his late grandfather, Peter Novakovic, who came to England from Serbia shortly after the Second World War.
Barrowclough first heard of the possibility of an international call-up back in February.
He has no idea how they found out about him, although he did have a brief spell with the Halifax Academy last season and there are a couple of Serbian players at the Eastmoor Dragons club in Wakefield.
A trainee surveyor who was previously a student at Honley High, Barrowclough could come up against any of the home countries in the Prague event as it features England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales as well as France (the favourites), the Czech Republic, Serbia and the Euro Celts.
Barrowclough previously played rugby union for Huddersfield YMCA, has represented West Yorkshire at union and the Kirklees Service Area at rugby league.
