England regular Chris Hill has welcomed the decision to take a Test match to Colorado and dismissed any fears associated with playing at high altitude.
Some NRL clubs have raised concerns over the distance involved for a mid-season international between England and New Zealand and have sought assurances about staging the game at the Mile High Stadium in Denver.
The June 23 match is seen as an important stepping stone towards the 2025 World Cup which will be held in North America and Hill is full of praise for the organisers' initiative.
The Warrington prop also insists, from his experience of attending a high-altitude training camp in South Africa in the build-up to the 2013 World Cup, that there is nothing to fear from the conditions the players can expect in Denver.
"It's brilliant taking it somewhere new and letting the people of America see what it's all about," Hill said.
"They are big on sport in general, aren't they? And the stadium in Denver looks pretty awesome.
"We've trained at high altitude a few times. The first couple of days you can feel the difference and then you start getting used to it. It's the same for both teams isn't it? We'll be sweet.
"I'm looking forward to it if selected, it should be a good Test there."
Hill has also welcomed the reappointment of Wayne Bennett as head coach and the plan to continue with regular get-togethers during the domestic season.
"He's a top bloke and a great coach," Hill said. "I'm looking forward to working with him again.
"Meeting up every four or six weeks just for a feed and a coffee together does make that difference, you do get your connections with each other. It showed in the World Cup how tight we were as a group."
Share
