There are not many who would be willing to swap Bondi beach for the outskirts of Barnsley in mid-October but for Victor Radley, his annual month-long excursion to England is not so much a chore but rather than the highlight of his year.
The 26-year-old NRL regular raised eyebrows two years ago when he decided to represent his Sheffield-born father and pledge his allegiance to England instead of push for an Australia call-up. Some wondered if it would be a mere one-off, with the chance to play in a World Cup too good to refuse. But for the third straight year, Radley is back in England colours.
It has been mostly pleasure as Radley immerses himself in English culture, catching up with friends and family in the south Yorkshire village of Crane Moor and visiting Hillsborough to watch Sheffield Wednesday. But on Sunday, the focus emphatically shifts to business as England host Samoa in Wigan in the first of two autumn Tests – with revenge firmly on the agenda.
The extra-time defeat to Samoa in the World Cup semi-final in 2022 still stings for anyone of an English persuasion: not least Radley. “The memories of that day aren’t great,” he says. “I threw the intercept, which lost us the game, so it puts a dampener on that experience and tournament for me.
“Even going on holidays after, I barely brought it up and if we’d won that game I’d have mentioned it all the time. I’m sure it’ll get mentioned in the buildup because it’s on everyone’s minds.”
Radley almost missed the autumn internationals with a shoulder injury suffered while playing for the Sydney Roosters but having been cleared, his presence in this squad is vital. England will look to back up last year’s series whitewash against Tonga with a similar outcome on home soil, before things begin to ramp up for the World Cup in 2026. An Ashes tour next year will truly test how prepared a young, exciting England squad is for a shot at glory: with Radley undisputedly at the heart of it.
“A lot of the players who were in the World Cup squad in 2022 are there this year so we’ll probably be together in two years for the World Cup,” he says. “We’ve gelled quickly and the tournament in Australia will be really good. But we’ve got a great challenge this year first and that’s something I’m relishing.”
Travelling to play on the other side of the world can often be a lonely experience, but Radley has thrown himself into the English way of life. “It really means a lot to be here and to represent my family and I always said I’d make the most of it whenever I got the opportunity,” he says.
“I absolutely love it so much here. It’s a good laugh, just all the local farm shops, the pubs and the locals. There’s always someone cracking jokes everywhere you go. It’s hilarious. It’s very different to back home that’s for sure. I love coming to England, the culture in this country is something I view so fondly. Getting to know England more has been really enjoyable. Every year gets better.
“I normally go straight to where my family is in Barnsley. I stay with my dad’s good friend who lives in the countryside and it’s beautiful. I know a lot of the local lads there now.
“Some of my dad’s other friends came up from Plymouth and we watched Wednesday play – that was the highlight of the trip so far.”
That draws the question: could Super League supporters see one of the NRL’s premier forwards grace the competition one day? “100%,” Radley says, smiling. “I’ve already spoke to my partner about it. We’ve got kids but I know she would love it as well over here. It’s something I want to do at some point in my career.”
But any more social visits to south Yorkshire or thoughts of playing club rugby here one day have been parked for the next fortnight at least. For now, it is about taking the next step for Radley and this developing squad.
“We haven’t had too many meetings about mindset yet and what our mental motivations are,” he says. “It’s just been about training and making sure we’re fit. We want to start revving up but not too far before the game. But this is a great squad with some great young players and we’ll be ready to put everything on the line for England.”
