For the first time England and Australia will go head-to-head this weekend in the northern England cities of Newcastle and Gateshead.

Canberra's Breen and Lauren Boden flew out of Canberra late yesterday en route for England as part of a 26-strong team for the Great North City Games, to be held annually until the 2012 London Olympics.

For Breen, who turns 19 tomorrow, racing in Europe again will help put more water under the bridge after her devastating omission from the Australian team for the Berlin world championships last month.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times