REDMEN first grade coach Gary Powell has provided three up-and-coming English rugby players a chance to experience playing the 15-a-side game abroad. And on Saturday the lads from the Penryn Club in England will suit up for the Redmen against Kempsey Cannonballs.
The trio, at just nineteen years old, have lobbed in Grafton after a mini world tour which included a stop-over in Bali.
Ross McKnight, Oli Mount and Sam Hewitt arrived in Grafton last Sunday and according to McKnight, they have been welcomed with open arms.
“It’s our first time in Australia. We’ve only been here less than a week and Grafton is such a nice place, and everyone has been very welcoming,” McKnight said.
“We stopped over in Bali and had a great time… and we also visited Yamba the other day.”
McKnight, Mount and Hewitt all play for the Penryn Rugby Club which is a town located in west Cornwall. The Penryn Club has plenty of history, in fact, it’s the oldest club side in the County and was formed way back in 1872.
For Powell, the trio will add much needed depth to the Redmen playing roster, and going on their efforts at training Thursday night, all three are not lacking in talent or skill.
“The boys looked great at training and have been playing rugby from a young age, so they have a fantastic skill set,” Powell said.
“I used to play rugby in England with one of their coaches, so I reached out to see if he had any players keen to have a stint with Grafton.
“As you know, I’m always looking for players and Marc (Dennis), the Director of Coaching, said he had three young guys coming through who may be interested.
“They seem like great young kids and they’re all enthusiastic about playing rugby.”
When asked if they have sampled Aussie beer, all three were quick to respond: “We love Coopers, although it’s the only one we’ve tried.”
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Nico