CULTURE Secretary Nadine Dorries will be invited to sample rugby league at first hand after confusing the 13-man game with the rival code.

Dorries stunned a rugby league audience in St Helens by referring to Jonny Wilkinson’s match-winning drop goal for England in the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup final in Sydney.

“I’ve always quite liked the idea of rugby league,” she said. “My long-standing memory is that 2003 drop goal.

“I’ll let you into a secret. I think we were drinking Bloody Marys at the time. It was 11 o’clock in the morning but wow what a moment that was.”

Dorries attempted make light of her faux pas, saying on Twitter that she may have “switched codes like Jason Robinson” but her comments were condemned by Portico Vine vice-chairman Billy Vaughan.

“Whoever writes these scripts should check their facts before the speeches are delivered,” Vaughan said.

“And secondly, if you are the person who is delivering the speech then you need to do your research to check the information you have been given is correct.

“The difference between rugby league and rugby union is immense.”