There was drama before the start of Saturday’s second Ashes Test at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium – with a famous pitch invader somehow lining up with the Australian team.
Daniel Jarvis, also known as ‘Jarvo’, has managed to get on the field at multiple high-profile sporting events in recent years. The most notable was perhaps when he ran onto the pitch during a Test match between England and India, and collided with England cricketer Jonny Bairstow.
Jarvis has also caused mayhem in live BBC coverage of FA Cup football before, and even managed to get involved with the closing ceremony at last year’s Paris Olympics when he masqueraded as a member of Team GB.
His antics at the Oval cricket match in 2022 saw him charged and ultimately found guilty of aggravated trespass – though there was less severity in what happened on Saturday.
But Jarvis could be seen lining up with the Kangaroos during the national anthem, before he was quickly escorted from the field after that took place.
He has also attempted to line up with the England football team before a game against the Republic of Ireland last year, and he has made headline coverage again after somehow storming onto the pitch wit the Kangaroos team.
There were looks of bemusement as Jarvis sang the anthem along with the Australian players, but the incident was quickly defused before kick-off. However, it will undoubtedly cause plenty of debate as to how he was allowed on the pitch in the first place.
The game started in lively fashion at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, a game England needed to win in order to keep the series alive and send it to a decider at AMT Headingley Stadium next Saturday in Yorkshire.
The RFL are aware of the incident and have been asked for comment.
