Richard Budd laughed heartily when it was put to him that he and his Oxley Cods teammates must be training hard for the annual NSW Police Rugby Union Country Cup.
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"Ah .... sure," he said after composing himself.
He added: "It's a very social day - we'll say that ... But at the end of the day, we all get competitive."
The 20th anniversary of the tournament will be held at Ken Chillingworth Oval on Thursday.
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Oxley Cods - a team made up of officers from Tamworth, Quirindi, Kootingal, Walcha and Manilla - hosted the first tournament in 1999.
They also hosted the event in 2011.
Budd, a Cods back-rower and the event spokesman, said the one-day competition brought together police from across NSW - with the focus on "friendly and competitive" games.
Teams have come from areas that include the Hunter, the Central Coast, the Mid North Coast and the Far West.
Budd said: "This year we've also got some sons of serving police coming to play with their dads, which is a good family thing.
"We've also got former Oxley police who are returning to the area [to play].
"We've got a couple who actually played in the first competition in 1999 ... They're all playing again.
"I'd like to ask the community to come down and watch the police play."
There will be a gold-coin entry fee, with the money going to PTSD Dogs Australia.
PTSD Dogs Australia is a non-profit organisation that rescues and rehomes displaced and unwanted dogs, to support and assist Australia's first responders suffering PTSD - such as police, ambulance officers, fire fighters and defence personnel.
"So this year it's not just about cops playing rugby: we also raise money for a charity," Budd said.
He said it was hoped some officers who had received the dogs would attend the tournament.
The first game starts at 8.30am, with the last match slated to finish about 3.30-4pm.
