Rugby League World Cup 2013: England full-back Sam Tomkins embraces ...

Before he disappears Down Under, he has a chance to provide his home nation

with the ultimate parting gift. Starting with the game against Australia

this Saturday in Cardiff, England expects. And the sight of Tomkins lifting

the World Cup at Old Trafford on Nov 30 would be an event with

earth-shattering ramifications for the sport in this country.

When he has finally disbursed himself of his light entertainment

responsibilities, one might expect Tomkins to be a little bemused by the

attention lavished on him. But there is a certain bullish assurance to this

guy, teetering just on the right side of cockiness. It is, after all, what

makes him such a flamboyantly daring runner out on the park.

“I was fully expecting there to be a lot of excitement around the World Cup,

and so there should be,” he says. “It’s the biggest sporting competition in

the country this year. Rugby league probably doesn’t quite get the publicity

that it deserves.

“We’ve got a great product, and hopefully the World Cup will give it another

boost. People around the country will watch it on the BBC and hopefully keep

an interest following on.”

The Tomkins name is becoming something of a rugby dynasty. Older brother Joel

made the switch to union, and is on the fringes of the England squad.

Younger brother Logan, a team-mate of Sam’s at Wigan, is in the

second-string England Knights squad. Having spent most of the past two

decades chauffeuring her three boys around, mother Alison can now reflect

with pride on their achievements.

“Yeah, she doesn’t know who to watch now,” Sam Tomkins says with a smile.

“She’s pretty busy. I’ll have all my family and a lot of my friends in

Cardiff. I’m lucky that I’ve got a very supportive family and friends who

will go to games wherever, whether I’m playing in London, Catalan, wherever

it’ll be.

“I speak to Joel daily, so he’ll probably be telling me ‘good luck’ towards

the back end of the week. He’s in camp with the England team this week, so I

think he’s pretty busy himself. He’s trying to get himself a spot against

the Aussies, so we’re very supportive of each other. I’m proud of what

Joel’s doing, and he’s proud of what me and Logan are doing as well. It’s a

nice feeling.”

Moving to Auckland will mean leaving the clan behind. But a fresh start

requires a clean break, and most of his possessions will be staying in

Wigan. “I’ve not got anything to take,” he says. “I’ve shipped two cars, I’m

just going to take a suitcase. That’s all I’ve got.”

Besides, Tomkins is not really one for keepsakes. “I don’t really take any

memorabilia from games,” he says. “My mum keeps all my shirts, medals,

rings, anything like that. All I collect is boots. I collect other players’

boots. I’ve got a games room at home, and I’ve got Adrian Morley’s boots

from when he won his 50th cap, Thomas Leuluai’s last Wigan boots, George

Carmont’s…”

But why boots? “Cause everyone collects shirts, don’t they?”

Despite his closeness to his family and loyalty to his team-mates, there is a

resolutely independent streak to Tomkins, a yearning not to fit the mould.

For all his achievements in the club game, signing off his Wigan career with

the Challenge Cup-Super League double this season, he still classifies

himself as an England player first and a club player second.

“I’m very proud to be English,” he says. “That’s why I want to be so

successful. I’ve never won a major trophy with an England shirt. There’s

nothing that gets you up for a game like standing there and singing the

national anthem with 16 of your mates. I’m immensely proud to pull the shirt

on.”

Proud to pull the shirt on, just not that fussed about keeping it afterwards.

But if he inspires England to World Cup glory next month, surely that will

be one shirt he wants to keep? Possibly even to take with him to New

Zealand, as a memento of his greatest triumph?

“No,” Tomkins replies with one last defiantly dry smirk. “I’d probably just

get off the plane with the medal around my neck!”

Article source: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/rugby-london-welsh-fined-keats-172112153.html

Rugby League World Cup 2013: England full-back Sam Tomkins embraces ...