SHANE Kennelly may have hung up his rugby boots two years ago but he believes he is ready to take on former Wallabies in three weeks.

The former Orange City captain is just one Orange player who will be part of the Millamolong Barbarians for next month’s Harper Bernays Rugby Challenge.

The Barbarians will take on the Silver Foxes, a team of former Wallabies with 554 test caps between them, in a charity match at Millamolong.

Money raised from the match will go to Hearts In Union Rugby Foundation which was established by Orange’s Rocky Miletto.

The foundation was set up after Miletto suffered a spinal injury while playing rugby union and discovered how difficult it is to adjust to his new lifestyle.

Kennelly (pictured left) was at the game’s official launch yesterday and is keen to pull on the boots and team up with players from across the region to take on some of Australia’s best.

“We were talking before that it’s not very often as a rugby player that you get to play with a group of legends,” he said.

The Silver Foxes will boast 14 former Wallabies including Tim Horan, Jason Little, David Wilson, Tim Gavin, Andrew Blades, Richard Harry, Marco Caputo, Warwick Waugh, Bill Young and Orange’s James Grant. Matt Burke will be their coach.

Kennelly will be joined in the Barbarians by Orange City’s Chris Blunt and current Lions first grader Nathan Powyer as well as Emus legends Matthew ‘Macca’ Greatbatch and Stu Brisbane.

Kennelly has been back at training preparing for the game.

“I’ve been getting back and doing a little bit,” he said.

“I go to the gym with James Grant. We’re going to head up to (Orange City) training this week and try and get a bit of physical contact rather than pushing some weights or riding a bike.”

Former Wallabies prop Richard Harry will captain the side and said this game will be played seriously.

“It is 100 per cent serious,” the veteran of 37 test caps for Australia said.

“We just don’t push in scrums because we haven’t trained for that. You run into people as hard as you can and you tackle as hard as you can. The game will be as intense as possible.”

Harry said the Silver Foxes are confident of winning and he expects players won’t be disappointed with the skills the former Wallabies show.

“After our last game a lot of the comments were it was amazing to see so-and-so slip back into their old ways,” Harry said.

Orange’s Toby Tancred has been working with the organising committee of Mike Crowley, Steve Stone, Rocky Miletto, Richard Harry and Andrew Logan to get this match established.

Tancred said the Silver Foxes are keen to play after their first charity match in 2007.

The Silver Foxes took on the Bungendore Mudchooks and raised more than $30,000 in the process.

Tancred said he believes they can beat that total at this year’s game.

Miletto said he is happy for his charity to be the recipient of whatever can be raised.

“We are so appreciative of Toby and the other guys who are putting this fund raiser together,” Miletto said.

“It gives us some more funds to go on a do the good work we’re doing.”

Spectators will be able to see the work Hearts In Union has been doing first hand when a wheelchair is presented to an injured footballer following the charity match.

The game, along with two curtain-raisers and some polo matches, will be played at Millamolong Station on March 8.

Gates will open for the family day at 11.30am with free entry for children under 15 and $10 for all others.