NORTHWICH RUFC powerful utility back Willi Du Randt will change from being a boy in blue when he dons the white shirt of England Police Rugby Union team.

South African born Cheshire Police Officer Willi, now a British citizen, was delighted to have impressed the England Police Rugby Union selectors in recent trials and is looking forward to playing against the other three police countries that make up the United Kingdom.

His inclusion and hopeful selection for England will make up for the disappointment of three seasons ago when Willi was selected for the Great British Police Rugby team that was due to play in matches prior to each British and Irish Lions matches on their tour to South Africa.

Willi said “I was gutted that an opportunity to play for the British Police in the country of my birth was cancelled because of Covid.

“I was looking forward to seeing places I hadn’t been to since I left South Africa 14 years ago, especially Port Elizabeth where I grew up and attended school, to attend Loughborough University.”

During his time studying for his degree at Loughborough, Willi played for the university side as well as Doncaster Knights, Sheffield Tigers and Rotherham Titans.

Willi was inspired to play rugby from a young age by elder brother Ronnie who played a lot on the sevens circuit for his adopted country England.

In 2015 Willi joined Cheshire Constabulary and was initially based at Crewe but recently has been transferred to the Cheshire headquarters at Winsford.

Shortly after joining Cheshire Police, Willi was persuaded to join Chester Rugby Club and played a couple of seasons for the Vicars Cross-based club before being contacted by Northwich director of rugby Martin Poste who knew him from playing at Sheffield Tigers.

Willi’s career at Northwich has been peppered by interruptions because of Covid and his shift patterns but now he is back and determined to see out his rugby career with his adopted club.

He acknowledges he is indebted to his wife Victoria, an area manager for Aldi, for supporting him with his rugby career and apart from playing rugby Willi loves nothing more than being a family man with his two children aged two and 12 months.

Meanwhile, Northwich Rugby Club first XV will be looking to make it three victories on the bounce when they travel to bottom club Kirkby Lonsdale on Saturday.

Blacks will have a full-strength squad from which to select for the encounter.

Northwich's thirds travel to play Hoylake's seconds.