A good-sized crowd is expected for the 745 Game at Kingsholm on Sunday.

The charity match, which starts at 5.40pm, is being staged to raise funds and awareness for motor neurone disease (MND).

A team of former rugby union players will take on a team of ex-rugby league players in a 13-a-side game which will be a hybrid of rugby league and union laws.

“Ticket sales are going really well and only getting stronger daily,” said Lydia Atkinson, one of the main driving forces behind the game.

Her husband Mark is one of a number of ex-Gloucester players taking part in a game that was first played at Headingley just under a year ago.

The numbers 745 hold a special significance because they are the shirt numbers of MND sufferers and former players Rob Burrow, Ed Slater and Doddie Weir.

Burrow is a rugby league legend, Slater is an ex-Gloucester second row and captain, while Weir is a former Scotland second row who also went on a British Lions tour.

The idea for the 745 Game originated from a WhatsApp conversation between Slater, who is 37, and Burrow.

Burrow sadly passed away at the age of 41 before the first game last year but Slater continued to work to make sure it became a reality. 

Slater will be at the game tomorrow and there will be some big names on show, including England World Cup winner Mike Tindall, ex-Gloucester and Scotland second row Jim Hamilton and former England prop Joe Marler, who was capped 95 times by his country.

Billy Twelvetrees, Jake Polledri, Joe Simpson, Matt Garvey and Matt Banahan are some of the other ex-Gloucester players taking part while rugby league will be represented by the likes of Adrian Morley, Ben Westwood, Luke Gale and the Griffin brothers, George, Josh and Darrell.

Doddie Weir’s son Ben will also be playing in the game for the union team. His dad died in November 2022 at the age of 52.

The 745 Game – the laws

13-a-side – six forwards, seven backs.

Each team can bring on a goalkicker only for kicks at goal.

Unlimited tackles in your own half but six tackles once attacking team passes halfway.

Unlimited interchanges. 

Uncontested scrums from knock-ons and forward passes. These are taken on the 20-metre mark in from touch, attacking team can select which side of the field scrum is placed.

Uncontested five-man line-outs when ball goes into touch.

One-on-one ball steals allowed in tackle before attacking ball carrier gets to ground, once knee to ground, tackle complete, play the ball to restart play.

Two markers at tackle, offside is five metres from the play the ball.

Two referees, one union, one league. One officiating the ruck, the other offside.

Five points for a try, two for a penalty, conversion and drop goal.

If the ball is knocked dead in goal, goal-line drop-out from the defending team, must go at least 10 metres.

Penalties kicked to touch, re-start with a line-out or take tap from where penalty is awarded, advantage for union but encourages league to attack from penalties.