Arriving at Sydney University as an economics student in 2015, Champion de Crespigny had to make a choice and plumped for the rugby club. His decision was vindicated two years later when he won the Shute Shield playing alongside Wallabies Harry Potter and Jake Gordon.
After graduating, Champion de Crespigny found work in property development while trying and ultimately failing to nail down a spot with the Waratahs.
An offer to play as a full-time professional in France with Castres eventually followed, and the back-rower moved to the country of his forefathers.
Castres is home to just over 40,000 people, and most of them are well-acquainted with the townโs rugby team.
Champion de Crespigny embraced life in France, helping his new side defeat an Antoine Dupont-led Toulouse in the Top 14 semi-finals in 2022 before playing in front of 78,245 fans at the Stade de France in the final against eventual champions Montpellier.
In front of a packed Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday, Champion de Crespigny will face the toughest challenge of his professional career when the Force go head-to-head with the Lions in the touristsโ first match on Australian soil.
Nick Champion de Crespigny will spearhead the Force pack when they take on the Lions on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
โI actually reflect most days. I had the privilege of not having the most linear path to professional rugby and I really appreciate it,โ Champion de Crespigny said.
โ I remember labouring during the day, training at night, and studying, and then getting up at 6am to get to the gym before having to go work in the city for another day.
โIโve seen the other side of life where youโre trying to balance it all, so I think every single day, wow, this is amazing. This weekโs been a bit of a whirlwind with everything going on. But Iโm starting to really get excited and sit back and go, what a journey itโs been.โ
One of Champion de Crespignyโs possible opponents on Saturday, Pierre Schoeman, is reflecting on his own unique journey to the Lions series. The prop moved from South Africa to Scotland seven years ago and qualified for his adopted country three years later.
Schoeman played for South Africaโs under-20s, but has now fully embraced life as part of the British and Irish Lions squad.
โScotland is home for us, my wife and myself, I know other players as well, like Mack Hansen has made Ireland home, you embrace that, you fully take that on,โ Schoeman said.
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โItโs like the movie Outlander, you move to a different country, and now thatโs your house, you live there. If you work for one of the big four in finance, you get the opportunity, youโre going to go for them and you can really make that home.
โBut this is much different. You buy into the culture and now to represent the British and Irish Lions, you fully buy into that, you fully submerge into that, nothing else matters.โ
All nine matches of The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia are live & on demand on Stan Sport, with Wallabies Tests in 4K. All Test matches live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now.
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