The Scots were flying out to compete in the Rugby League World Cup, which is being held in Australia over the coming weeks. A total of 10 teams are involved, split into three pools, and the event gets under way with England versus Papua New Guinea in Townsville on Saturday. The Scots have France first up the following day, before which time they will have had 10 days in which to acclimatise, get rid of the jet lag and meet the Australian element of the squad.

The UK-based Scots are bolstered by six from down under with the biggest draw undoubtedly Michael Robertson, who came within a whisker of making the Kangaroos squad. Frank Hadden would give much to utilise his finishing power. The winger plays for the Manly Sea Eagles, he is representing Scotland and he recently grabbed a hat-trick of tries in the NRL's grand final as his side put 40 points past Melbourne.

On the subject of hat-tricks, three Henderson brothers are included in the Scots' squad, Andrew, Ian and Kevin, who all play for different clubs. The boys were raised in Australia by their Glasgwegian father Martin, who is currently in remission from leukaemia. Just one Scottish domestic player made the cut, Edinburgh Eagles' Paddy Coupar, and even then he has benefited from being on trial with Workington Town in recent months.

The 24-man squad is augmented by a back-up staff of just six people with a team manager, four coaches and a kit man. By comparison, Scotland's Union squad for France '07 included a 17-strong management team.

Sitting amongst the players on the plane to Sydney last week was double international Jon Steel, who won five caps for Scotland in the 15-man game from 2000-2001. The 28-year-old winger also has three Scotland RL appearances to his name after spending the last four years with Hull KR, helping his side into the Super League and then helping them to a respectable seventh place finish this season.

"It's a very exciting time for everyone," says Steel. "The World Cup is being played in Australia, the very heartland of the game, and the whole event is sure to be a passionate one for everyone involved. Pulling on the Scotland shirt is always something special for me."

Some sportsmen have their entire careers distilled down to one particular moment that remains frozen in time and in Steel's case it came when playing for Scotland against the All Blacks at Murrayfield on November 24, 2001. It was an awesome New Zealand side that included Jonah Lomu. The huge winger had already scored one try when he was thundering towards the Scotland line for what seemed like an inevitable second.

Just one man stood between him and the whitewash, five metres out and you could have forgiven Steel, 13 stones dripping wet, if his legs were shaking. Instead the Scot coolly felled the behemoth with a textbook tackle and, although Scotland lost the match, that moment helped keep the score respectable. Three years later and Steel was deemed surplus to requirements at Glasgow, he has been at Hull KR ever since and, like Edith Piaf, he has no regrets.

"I very much enjoyed my union career, it was the only game I played right up to the age of 24. I was at Glasgow for four years and now I've been at Hull KR for four years. I have caps in both codes and it is always a memorable event.

"I was probably ready for a new challenge. When Glasgow let me go I'd always had it at the back of my mind to give rugby league a go. There are a different set of skills involved, some of which are not found in union. I feel that my skills have come on a lot since I left union, my game has improved and league has given me another string to my bow.

"My strength has improved since moving, in league they really target the gym because of the physicality involved, but I'd like to think I'm still as fast as I used to be. The body feels pretty good."

The body will need to be since the Scots are facing a potential ask of three matches in 14 days, depending on where they finish in Pool 3. The Scots open with a tough draw against France and follow it up with a step into the unknown when they face Fiji on November 5. France will start as favourites to win the group, bolstered by the success of the Catalans Dragons who are based in Perpignan and have given the French a toe-hold in the Super League.

"Well, France might be favourites on paper," concedes Steel, "but we don't look at it like that. There is no reason why we can't beat them, our squad is full of Super League players throughout. We plan to be very competitive; you have to go to the World Cup expecting to win."

"This is definitely not about the money," says Steel, who like the other Scots gets an allowance but is not paid for the time in Australia. "It's all about representing your country and putting your body on the line." As one outsized All Black winger will confirm, Steel will always do that much.