CNRU Round 13: Sam Crane jumps at overseas opportunity with Gunnedah

Among the Englishman's first requests to be sent from back home was "some more warm clothes".

He had underestimated just how cold it can get in Australia.

"I was even warned before I came out here; bring some warm clothes because it's pretty chilly," he joked.

"But I was like nah, surely not."

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The 25-year old, who hails from a small village on the outskirts of Sheffield, linked up with the Red Devils this season after coach Dan Martin reached out after coming across his profile on The Rugby Agents, which is a UK-based, player recruitment database.

"He said do you want to come out to Australia for a season?," Crane explained.

"I was like yeah straight away."

It was - playing overseas - something he had "been desperate" to do since he completed his university studies. But finishing in 2019 there hadn't really been any opportunity with the world virtually shut down for the two years following.

So when the opportunity arose, he jumped at it.

He didn't take long to show his class, and should he play against Quirindi on Saturday will be a welcome inclusion. Battling what Martin described as "a minor hamstring complaint" Crane sat on the bench against Scone last week.

He has been named at half-back in the side to face the Lions but Martin will make a final decision on Saturday.

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He is one of a few players they are "managing" at the moment to make sure they are right for what is a tough run ahead.

Arriving just after the season started, it hasn't just been Crane's footy skills that have been welcomed.

A schoolteacher, he has been kept pretty busy.

"There's a teacher shortage here so they've been really keen to get me on, which is good," he said.

"I've got three days in school and two casual days."

Most weeks he's been "booked up" those two days.

Predominantly a half-back, as he showed at last month's Country Championships he is also a pretty handy five-eighth, being thrust in there for the Kookaburras after being a late inclusion in the squad.

"Before I came I was looking forward to getting into the representative stuff," Crane said.

"When the chance came about I took it."

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He played rep for Yorkshire all through the age groups and was "lucky enough" a few years ago to play a game at the home of England rugby - Twickenham, which was a special and "dauting" experience.

"It was weird because it was empty," he added.

"Maybe one stand was a little bit full in the first six rows."

For now the plan is just to do the one season but who knows?

"Now I've finished uni I don't have anything to go back to," he said.

"When I went to Canada (he spent the [England] summer over there in 2017) I still had to come back for university where I may have stayed because I really enjoyed it.

"So I'm glad I've got that freedom now that if I would like to stay I can stay. If not my season starts again in September."

In the round's other games Inverell will defend the Kookaburra Challenge Cup, which they won back last week, at Walcha while Narrabri host a resurgent Moree.

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