Emotional England hardman Victor Radley can't wait to sink “about 20 pints” with his family in Sheffield.
The Australian loose forward qualifies for the World Cup hosts given his Yorkshireman dad Nigel hails from the Steel City, moving Down Under in the 1980s. Radley, 24, plays against Greece on Saturday at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane with his dad and brother Harry having flown in from Sydney on Friday morning. Nigel, a massive Sheffield Wednesday fan, was raised in nearby Hoyland.
And speaking after the Captain’s Run, Sydney Roosters star Radley revealed: "When I first arrived in the UK I stayed here for a few days and we went to the Hare and Hounds in Hoyland for a feed. A lot of people there knew my grandad Derrick and that was really special. I met my grandma once and my grandad a few times but both have passed away.
"The type of person he was, he reminds me of my old man a bit and I know why I am who I am. But everyone was saying he’d have been so proud. I think I'm going to put my Samoa jersey (England Test debut) up in the working men's club in Hoyland."
Radley, a former Junior Kangaroo who was now turned his back on the chance to represent Australia and New South Wales State of Origin, has yet to meet his dad and brother since they landed. But he admitted: “I'm sure after the game I'll see everyone and have about 20 pints! I’ve about 50 people coming from all over the world for this game. I am quite emotional now. Probably not to my dad – I'm not going to go kiss him and hug him – but I'm an emotional person and this is something I've thought about.
"It's going to be a proud moment to do it for them and something I'll look back on for the rest of my life. I'm happy I've done it. When I chose to play for England, I looked forward to this Sheffield game and playing in front of my old man. Hearing what they've spoken about, I know I've made the right decision.”
