COUGAR players faced a last-minute dash to Liverpool yesterday to get passports for their Powergen Challenge Cup trip to France.

They were due to fly out of Leeds Bradford Airport at 10am today (Friday) on a specially chartered plane - but three players discovered they needed new passports before making the trip.

Matt Foster and Danny Steel were left racing round to fill in the vital paperwork and had to make an emergency appointment at the Liverpool Passport Office in a bid to get passports for the trip.

Forward Phil Stephenson also faced an anxious wait as his passport was due to be delivered by courier.

"It has been very frustrating, but hopefully everything will sort itself out in time," said coach Gary Moorby.

Club chairman Neil Spencer was also worried he would miss the club's first game on foreign soil following a heart by-pass operation just seven weeks ago.

He met a heart specialist on Wednesday and was given the all-clear to travel.

"It was fantastic news, I was dreading having to sit at home and wait for the result to be phoned through. It will be a tough game and a whole new experience for the club to be playing overseas.

"The atmosphere at the club is really buzzing again among the players and spectators - if we can win this one it will be superb," he said.

Gary Moorby has called on the experience of former Cougar coach Steve Deakin who coaches neighbouring French side UTC who are due to be given a place in Super League next season.

He has warned that the Pia Salanque Mediterrannee team will be a tough nut to crack with the experience of former Featherstone star Maxime Gresque in the No7 shirt. He is backed up by Papua New Guinea international Tom O'Reilly. At full back they have Australian Craig West who previously played in the Brisbane A Grade competition.

"I have been told they will be about the same standard at our National League One sides, and it will be tough," Moorby said. "However, if we can pull off a performance like our first 40 minute against Halifax on Friday we will certainly be in with a big chance of pulling off a victory.

"The lads are certainly determined to show what they can do.

"I have told them that this is not a holiday, we are there for one task only and that is to win the match," he said.

The club hopes a victory in France on Saturday will bring them the reward of a lucrative tie against a Super League club.