TWO decades ago, Luke Potter's dream of playing rugby league professionally was cruelly snatched away from him when he was aged just eight.

The Orford youngster starred alongside the likes of future Warrington Wolves stars Mike Cooper and Lee Mitchell as a Latchford Giants junior.

But Luke will never know whether his career could have reached such heights.

A brain tumour left him unable to speak or walk, and Luke had to undergo a lifesaving operation.

But now, 20 years on, Luke has stepped onto the rugby pitch once more with the Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation's physical disability rugby league team.

The 28-year-old said: “I had to have some of my skull removed, which meant I wasn’t able to compete on the same level as some of the other players.

“I went back to training because I still had the passion, the desire and the fire for the game.

"But I just couldn’t do it anymore.

“It was a difficult decision, but I was repeatedly getting knocks and my body wasn’t able to participate in the way I’d liked.

“I had to give it up, and I’ve never played since.

“It was like having your dream ripped away from you - it was heartbreaking."

But Luke could be pulling on the famous primrose and blue shirt for the Wire's PDRL side in Australia in two months’ time.

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The team - the first of its kind in the UK - are set to take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs at the 80,000-capacity ANZ Stadium as a curtain raiser to the NRL side's clash with Wests Tigers.

READ MORE: Adam Hills on picking between Wolves and Souths

Luke added: "In time I got over not being able to play anymore but you never lose that drive, and here I am today.

“It’s been fantastic - I love being out and being active again.

“The team are a great bunch of lads and I couldn’t ask for anyone better to play alongside, because the social side of it is really important as well.

"You come out to train, meet other people and develop new friendships.

“Playing in Australia would be a dream come true - it would mean that much that I can’t even put it in to words.

“Just to go out to Australia with these lads would be more than enough, but to play rugby out there as well would be a fantastic opportunity.”

Many of Warrington Wolves' physical disability rugby league team have experienced arduous journeys to get where they are today.

But none travel a greater distance in miles than flying winger Tony Seward.

Every Tuesday night, the 22-year-old drives up to six hours from his home in Devon to train with the team at the University of Chester's Padgate campus.

And after training, he makes the long journey back home again.

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Tony said: “I heard about the team on social media after their first game against Leeds.

“I just asked if they needed a winger, and they told me to come along to training.

“Every week I will drive between four and six hours just to get to training, but it’s worth it because they’re a good bunch of lads."

Tony was left disabled after his left hand was crushed in an industrial accident in August 2016.

He added: “Being able to play rugby has helped my fitness and it’s been such a massive boost psychologically as well.

“It would be amazing to be able to go out and play in Australia.

“I would never have thought this would happen a couple of years ago.

“There is so much talent in this squad, and there is a lot of potential for an England PDRL team.

“The opportunities are endless.”

The Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation needs to raise £50,000 in order to fund the trip to Australia, with a benefit gig by comedian John Bishop set to take place at the Parr Hall on Tuesday.

And on Tuesday, June 19, the Parr Hall will host comedians John Bishop, Justin Moorhouse, Mick Ferry and Rachel Fairburn as a fundraiser for the team's trip to Australia.

Adam Hills, host of Channel 4's the Last Leg and Warrington Wolves PDRL player, will also appear.

He said: “Everyone loves this sport and nobody ever walks away from a training session unhappy or wishing they hadn’t come.

“All of these guys has a story and most of them never thought they would be doing this.

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“I hadn’t played in a proper competitive game of rugby since I was 15.

“It’s been a long time, but I’m probably the fittest now that I’ve been since my 20s.

“At the end of a game we might be on the borderline of vomiting, but the next day we’re always messaging each other and saying ‘let’s do it again’."

Tickets are priced at £25 and are available at pyramidparrhall.com or by calling 442345.

To donate, click here.