Liam Rice-Wilson took up rugby league to keep fit - now he's in Australia for the Student World Cup and dreaming of a career down under.

Rice-Wilson had only known rugby union as a child, playing for Cranbrook and Sevenoaks, but that changed when he turned up for summer training with the Medway Dragons league team, aged 14.

The former Staplehurst schoolboy, who lives in Chart Sutton, was picked up by the London Broncos in his first season and hasn't looked back.

Now, as a final-year student at the University of Gloucestershire, he's part of the Wales squad who flew to Australia on Friday.

He said: "Playing in a World Cup and representing your country is something you dream about as a kid.

"Hopefully it won't be a once-in-a-lifetime experience but it certainly feels like that.

"I played rugby union up to 14 and then a close friend told me to take up league down at the Medway Dragons.

"I only went along to keep up my fitness for union and I absolutely fell in love with it.

“The Dragons were very welcoming and a really nice club.

"Before that I had no rugby league experience whatsoever and now I'm going to the Student World Cup."

Rice-Wilson, who went to secondary school at Cornwallis, was taken by the speed of league and the force of the tackles and has hardly played union since.

The 21-year-old, who qualifies for Wales via his nan, is set to feature in World Cup pool games against Scotland on July 7, England - the country of his birth - on July 9 and New Zealand on July 12.

The semi-finals are on July 14, with the final two days later.

All the matches are in Sydney and hooker Rice-Wilson, who’s also played league for Gloucestershire All Golds, hopes Aussie scouts will be watching as he bids to impress the country's National Rugby League clubs.

He said: "We're not going there to make up the numbers - we're going there to win.

"We're going with the mentality that we expect to get to the final - you need to have that mentality.

"I've not played in the World Cup before and, for me, it's a chance to test where I am and where I need to be because I have aspirations to play in the NRL.

"I'd love to end up playing in Australia.

"Where union to league is a step up in intensity, there's even more intensity in NRL compared to Super League back home.

"There's so much more skill in NRL and the players are much fitter from playing at different altitudes.

"I'm hoping Aussie clubs will be watching. I'd definitely consider going out there straight away if the chance came up but it might be that I come back to England, start in a Championship 1 side and work my way to Super League first."

Rice-Wilson played in the Four Nations last season, scoring his first try for Wales in a match against Ireland.

The tournament also gave him his first experience of playing against England.

It felt strange but in rugby terms, he’s very much a Welshman.

He said: “It was odd playing England but I’m so passionate to be playing for Wales.

“They’ve taken me in and taken me under their wing and I’m so thankful for what they’ve done for me.

“They’ve really helped my game along and, for that reason, I wouldn’t go back to England.

“Down the line I might have the option to play for England but I don’t think I could leave Wales.”