When Chris Watkins moved halfway across the world from New Zealand to England in 2019, he thought that his rugby league days were behind him, but this year he led Wests Warriors to a historic Challenge Cup third round.
Chris moved to England with his partner in the summer of 2019 intending to turn his focus to travelling, having played rugby league back at home in New Zealand. As time progressed, Chris realised that not only did he miss the game of rugby league, but he also missed the social element that comes with the sport.
Having moved away from family and friends, Chris admitted that his social circle was a small one, but he did already know some of the people involved at Wests Warriors, a local rugby league club based in London. Ultimately, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Chris told Fen Regis Trophies: “I came over [to England] with the intention of not playing rugby league. I had a couple of mates that played [for Wests Warriors] and they tried to get me down for the 2020 season.
“Like I said, I came over with the intention of not playing anymore, but then I started feeling as though I needed to get around some mates and meet some new people.
“I thought I would give it a go and go down and see what it was all about. I haven’t looked back since.”
Joining Wests Warriors
For Chris, it was the opportunity to reconnect with some old friends and make new ones that truly sold the club to him. Wests Warriors in the grand scheme of rugby league are a new club, having been founded in 2013 by Kimbo Parkinson, who doubles up as head coach, as a nines team before becoming established in 2014.
During the nine years of Wests Warriors’ existence, the club has enjoyed success having reached the Challenge Cup third round in 2017 – a huge achievement for an amateur side – and being crowned London Champions in 2014, 2016, and 2019. Chris knew that he was joining a club with serious ambition.
“Moving from the other side of the world, it can get a little bit lonely when you first get here,” he admitted. “Thankfully, I had a couple of mates I already knew, and they were raving about the club, telling me how many new people they met and the things they were doing.
“I thought, yeah, I wanted to get involved in that, meet some new friends and play rugby league.”
Captain
Since joining the club, which plays its home matches at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground in Acton, London, Chris has played a vital role in winning significant trophies, claiming the Southern Conference League championship in 2021 and 2022. He now wears the armband for the Warriors.
“I take a massive, massive amount of pride [wearing the armband],” Chris said. “It’s always an honour to have your peers and your coaches entrust you with that.
“It’s awesome to be able to lead the boys and have a big impact on how we play and what we do.”
It’s not only on the pitch where Chris takes great pride in his club but also off it, pointing to the “brotherhood” that he and his teammates share.
“We work hard and play hard. We use the terms ‘brotherhood’ and ‘family’ a lot, especially with a lot of Aussies and Kiwis in the squad.
“When you come over to the UK, you’re away from your friends and your family. Wests Warriors has tried to create that family that you are missing out on within the club.”
Challenge Cup Third Round
While winning back-to-back championships is one of Chris’ proudest achievements, there is one that sits even above that – playing in the Challenge Cup third round away at seven-time winners Widnes Vikings. As one of British rugby league’s sleeping giants, having been crowned the first official world club champions in 1989, Widnes have been playing in the Championship (second tier) since 2019 and entered the competition at the third round stage.
The Warriors enjoyed a 26-16 win away at Skirlaugh in the first round kicked off their campaign before an 18-14 victory over local rivals London Chargers at Twyford Avenue set up the biggest day in the club’s short history. Though outclassed, losing 80-4 to their professional opponents, it was a day that Chris will never forget and is eager to ensure it won’t be a one-off.
“It was definitely a hard run, we had to do very good things and we had to be very good ourselves to make it to that third round,” said the Warriors’ skipper.
“I think we shocked a lot of people going up north and beating Skirlaugh, that was a big shock to them up there. We knew that was going to be a hard game as they are a very good team.
“Against the London Chargers, who we had just played in the grand final for our season, is always a tough game. Getting to the third round was our goal and it was a hard road to get there.
“It was unreal (playing at Widnes). It was great as I’ve never played in a proper stadium before. The ability to play against a Championship team and test ourselves was an experience I won’t forget.
“Obviously, the score wasn’t pretty, but I’m proud of how we played and what we did. We didn’t make it easy for them – I don’t think the score reflected the actual game.
“We pride ourselves on having a strong middle defence and working hard for each other and the majority of their tries were out wide. I don’t think they really managed to come through the middle of us, that for us was a massive one.”
Chris added: “It makes you want to go after it again even harder (playing in a big stadium), to put in more work and hopefully next year we can get back to that same calibre of opponent.”
With plenty still to play for in the 2023 season, Chris and his Wests Warriors teammates have their sights firmly set on winning a third consecutive championship title. You can follow their progress through the club’s Facebook and Twitter channels, where the Warriors also post details of open trials for anyone interested in playing.
By Aaron Gratton
