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I'd like to thank The WA Police Media guy for allowing me to re-produce this article from the police newsletter "From The Line" April issue 151 (i think)
The WA Police Rugby team enlisted expert help last week, going ‘undercover’ for a training session with Emirates Western Force players and coaching staff at Perry Lakes. Formed this year, the WA Police Rugby team will make their maiden appearance at the third Australian Police Rugby Championships in Geelong in May. Made up mainly of transitional officers from the UK, the WA Police team includes a handful of stars from the WA Senior Rugby Competition and is captained by dual PJ Hampshire medal winner First Class Constable Matt Aiken of the North-West Metropolitan Region.
1/C Constable Aiken, who played for the WA representative team in 2001, ’03 and ’04, said the team was privileged to have a special training session under the Emirates Western Force coaches. “We’re very grateful for the Emirates Western Force coaching staff and players donating their time to coach the boys for a session and it will go a long way to ensuring we are competitive at the national championships. We try to train at least once a fortnight but it can be difficult to organise at times with the different shifts involved in police work,” he said. WA Police Rugby team captain Matt Aiken and WA Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Gary Dreibergs are presented with WA rugby jerseys by Emirates Western Force stars James Hilgendorf and Pat O’Connor. 2001, ’03 and ’04, said the team was privileged to have a special training session under the
While the WA side boasts some good talent, including 1/C Constable Aiken’s Cottesloe teammate Constable Travis Wilson of Rockingham Police Station and former Newcastle Knights rugby league player John Allerson, 1/C Constable Aiken expects tough opposition from the eastern states teams. “It’s our first national championships and our first year together as a team so we’re hoping to be competitive, but naturally the more established eastern states teams are expected to do very well,” said Aiken. 1/C Constable Aiken said WA was keen to host the Australian Police Rugby Championships in years to come. “Firstly, we’d like to keep the team together here in WA and hopefully down the track we’ll have the opportunity to host the Australian Championships in our home state.”
WA Police acting Assistant Commissioner, Gary Dreibergs, was also on hand to watch the WA Police team get put through their paces by Emirates Western Force assistant coaches John Mulvihill and Tom Fearn, who were assisted during the session by players James Hilgendorf and Pat O’Connor.