PLAYERS from Brooklands Hockey Club are to form part of a North XI team and take on team Great Britain in a charity match to raise funds to keep a hockey player in the game after he lost his leg to cancer.

Ben Rawson was travelling home from hockey one day when he found a lump behind his knee. After the lump turned painful, Ben booked an appointment where a cyst was diagnosed.

Seven months later, Ben went for a further appointment where doctors told him the cyst was in fact a tumour - he had a rare bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma, that affects fewer than 30 teenagers and young adults in the UK each year.

In order to save Ben's life and give him the best chance possible, at 21-years-old, there was no alternative but to amputate his leg half way up his thigh.

Ben played for Denbigh Hockey Club, and in his last season went unbeaten. But, in order for him to participate in competitive sport again, he will require a 'blade' that allows him to run and jump and overcome some of the deficiencies in other prosthetics, but is not available on the NHS over the age of 18.

The cost for this would be £50,000.

Whilst the Great Britain team were on a trip to India before Christmas, the head coach of GB/England Hockey, Bobby Crutchley heard of Ben and saw his story across social media. Bobby instantly wanted to do something to raise money to help fund the purchase of a blade to enable Ben to play again and came up with the idea of a charity hockey match.

With the England squad at that time was Peter Mulford, Brooklands second XI coach, and he suggested holding the match at Brooklands.

Youngsters will have the chance to be coached by Great Britain players before the match that will see players from across the North of England, picked especially for the night, take on the Great Britain Mens team.

The match will start at 7pm and there will be a raffle on the night.

Tickets have now sold out for the event, but donations for Ben can still be made on his Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ben-rawson