The 23-year-old squares up with Dorian Darch with his heavyweight WBL hybrid boxing world title on the line at Warrington Wolves’ Halliwell Jones Stadium in his home town but rugby league was his first sporting focus.

That team sport is in his blood, and is one in which his father Mike ‘Gus’ O’Rourke – Cheshire’s former assistant chief fire officer but now retired – represented England at under 19s level and went on to play rugby league professionally.

“I played rugby when I was younger. I’m a twin, so me and my brother played on the same Woolston Rovers team but it was never for me really,” said the 23-year-old who grew up in the Padgate area.

“The latest we got to was under 13s, but we started about seven. I was a good player, Nathan was much better though. I just wanted to branch off and do my own thing, be good at something on my own.

Conor O’Rourke in the Warrington Wolves changing rooms at The Halliwell Jones Stadium (Image: Lloyd Groarke)

“I think there’s also an element of wanting to carry it all on my shoulders. On a rugby team, you can pass blame between every other player like ‘why didn’t you pass me the ball because I’d have scored?’

“But with this there’s no excuses, it’s all on you, you can’t turn to anyone and point any fingers. There’s nowhere to hide, you can’t hide behind the bigger players, it’s all on me.”

There is a little bit of boxing in the family background, but the Warrington Bus Station security officer is a trailblazer for the O’Rourkes in hybrid – a version the same as regular boxing except the fighters wear smaller MMA-style gloves.

“My dad and a few of his brothers tried boxing when they were younger,” revealed the former King’s Leadership Academy student and then continued with a cheeky smile.

“My dad thinks he knows about boxing because he hit a few bags when he was a kid, but he doesn’t have a clue.

“He was a really good sportsman back in the day and I feel we’ve got some good genes in the family for it.

“He still thinks he’s a sportsman at the age of 65. He was recently in the Alps, skiing. He phoned me to tell me he’d fallen over about 30 times. And I said ‘you think you can give me any advice on boxing?’

“But he’s always been good for giving me advice. All the advice that a dad should give his son, he’s been really good for and we get along well.”

O’Rourke said he is proud to be representing the town in Wolves’ den, where he has watched The Wire play as a fan.

Last night he led out the Warrington Wolves team for their friendly against Leigh Leopards before facing off with his fight opponent Darch on the pitch, a moment that will long live with him.

Conor O’Rourke and Dorian Darch facing off at The Halliwell Jones Stadium during the interval of the Warrington Wolves versus Leigh Leopards friendly (Image: Richard Walker)

Conor O’Rourke at the end of the face-off with Dorian Darch in the middle of The Halliwell Jones Stadium pitch, having took off his coat to reveal his Wire colours (Image: Richard Walker)

Conor O’Rourke’s world title belt that will be on the line on Saturday night (Image: Richard Walker)

But eyes all turn to the 40/Twenty Lounge in the East Stand tonight as O’Rourke bids to retain his title in a battle expected to last longer than the one in which he won the crown.

Welshman Darch got in the ring with global boxing stars Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois earlier in his career before switching to the bareknuckle arena and O’Rourke has described the 41-year-old as an ‘animal’ in the ring.

Former Hook & Jab amateur O’Rourke got the opportunity to fight for the vacant world title out of the blue, stepping up from the undercard after nine potential opponents for Brendon Moore withdrew from the show in Torquay in October.

He knocked out the Chard-based fighter in 36 seconds and now he has promised Darch he will be the first to ‘spark him out’.

O’Rourke has a record of 18 fights unbeaten, including three at amateur and 14 on the unlicensed scene before that first professional success on The English Riviera.