A RUGBY League coach is going to swap his whistle for boxing gloves for an event in Wigan next month.

Doug Owen from Westhoughton Lions is taking part in the Ultra White Collar Boxing event at the DW Stadium on September 26 to raise money for cancer research.

He has been doing eight week training camps which involved two sessions a week with professional boxer John Collier at the Majestic Gym in Wigan.

He said: "Preparation is going well so far.

"I'm using the expertise of the staff at Bodytorq in Westhoughton and Body Image in Hindley along with my own roadwork.

"I have been doing one or two sessions a day, 5 days a week on conditioning and skills/technical work.

"If I'm doing this I'm going to give it my best shot

"Like most people I have lost a number of family and friends to cancer. Since my teens I have known people my own age (college friends, work colleagues) that it has taken on a far too regular basis.

"Also, on a personal note I have set myself the challenge of competing at 10 sports before I turn 50, this allows me to tick boxing from the list.

"I've used boxing as a way of keeping fit over the years but have never actually fought and let's be honest – who doesn't want to be Rocky for the night?."