Guernsey Touch is, for the first time, taking three teams away to an international tournament.

This weekend (21 st & 22 nd July) the men's, mixed and women's teams will join teams from across Europe to take part in the Green Stone Hook tournament which is taking place just outside Paris.

'This is the first time we will be taking a women's team with us to an international tournament and so it's a great achievement for Guernsey Touch that we have been able to select three teams to represent the island,' said Guernsey Touch spokesman Andrew Hutton.

In 2004 Guernsey was represented by a mixed team at the European Championships but the establishment of a league in the island meant that last year a men's and a mixed team represented the island at the European Championships in Edinburgh.

'We hadn't planned to go to any tournaments this year but when the invitation came through we knew it was an opportunity that we had to take as it is invaluable experience for the squad to play against other international teams,' said Hutton.

'The teams have been training hard and this year we have a fantastic mix of experience and energy and I am confident that Guernsey will prove to be tough competition.'

Guernsey Touch has also been invited to take part in the 4Nations Tournament in Cardiff on Saturday 4 th August and is sending a mixed side.

'We are very lucky to be supported by Ernst & Young which subsidises our away trips and the cost of running the Summer and Autumn Leagues. It would be fantastic to send all three teams to Cardiff but we have to be selective and it was agreed that we should focus on Green Stone Hook and of course the Inter-Insulars,' said Hutton.

The annual clash with Jersey takes place on Saturday 11 th August and this year Guernsey is hoping to come home with the trophy.

'In 2005 Guernsey Touch was in its infancy and all three Jersey teams won but last year it was a much harder battle and although our men's team won, Jersey kept the trophy after beating our mixed and women's sides. This year it's going to be different, all three teams are desperate to win and so we are incredibly hopeful that this year will belong to Guernsey,' said Hutton.

The teams selected are:

Mixed
Michelle Boddy
Tristan Boscher
Laura Cravo
Tom Godfrey
Nick Guy
Lindsay Henderson
Andrew Hutton (capt.)
Rory Jones
Aaron Le Masurier
Hannah Lord
Andrew May
Stephanie Nicolle
Ariane Turner

Mens
Jason Batiste
Andrew Campbell
Tom Ceelam
Tom Falla
Rupert Iles
Barney Lee
Brendan Madey
Cameron Patten
Olly Reed
Jordan Reynalds
Rollo de Sausmarez
Dave Strawbridge
Dan Taylor-Edwards (capt.)
Ollie Ward

Womens
Katrina Bray
Claire Gaston-Parry
Alex Hanna
Sonia Hewitt
Gillian Kennedy-Smith
Anna Matthews
Cliodhna Phelan
Claire Tostevin
Paula Townsend (capt.)
Jackie Wenman
Debbie Wilson

Guido Bohlman (team referee)
Doug Hayter (team manager)