A YOUNG player from Furness will be in international rugby league action in London at the weekend.

England are set for a showdown in the RL world cup semi-final on Saturday afternoon against Polynesian islanders from Samoa.

However, as a prelude to the world cup clash Barrow-born Dan Horne will be in action for up-and-coming rugby league nation Norway who are taking on keen rivals Poland.

Dan, 21, was brought up in Ulverston before moving to Stavanger, in south west Norway, with his family around 10 years ago.

There Dan has made a name for himself playing rugby league with local team Sandnes Raiders and he has already been capped by the Norway national team.

A graduate in Politics at Newcastle University where he is now studying for his MSc in renewable energy, Dan has always been keen on playing rugby and as a youngster played mini-rugby for Askam.

The game between Norway and Poland is being played at the home ground of Ilford Wanderers rugby club and is sure to attract a large crowd of supporters living in the Greater London area.

The match gives the chance for either Norway or Poland to be the inaugural winners of the Battle of Narvik Trophy, which commemorates the occasion during the Second World War when forces from both countries joined those of Britain and France to defeat Nazi Germany.

Rugby is in the blood for Dan, a former Ulverston Victoria High School student, as he is following in the footsteps of his dad Peter who represented Cumbria at junior level and also played for Ulverston and Barrow RLFC for a time before going off to university and working overseas.

Norway failed to make the world cup finals after being defeated by Greece who played England in this year’s competition. However, Norway rugby fans will be hoping they can progress through to the next world cup competition when qualifying games are held.