Convert Fielden loves the footy stage

13 April 2012

Stuart Fielden, one of England's most impressive young guns in the World Cup, is a soccer nut at heart.

The 6ft 3in and 16st 7lbs 21-year-old Bradford Bulls prop, who is steeling himself for a semi-final tilt at New Zealand tomorrow, should feel quite at home at Bolton Wanderers' Reebok Stadium.

His loyalties lie with another famous old Lancashire club, Burnley, who took him on a roller- coaster ride before his emerging talent for rugby league pointed him in another direction.

'I followed Burnley everywhere when I was a kid and still remember how agonising it was watching them avoid relegation from the League on the last day of the 1986-87 season,' said Fielden.

'But it wasn't all bad because a few years later I went to Wembley when they beat Stockport in the play-offs final. 'My Turf Moor hero was a lad called Roger Eli, although he wasn't in the Wembley team. I loved my football and, to be honest, it is only in the last five years that I have turned to rugby league.

'When the last rugby league World Cup was staged here five years ago and England reached the final, I didn't really have a clue what was going on.

'I seem to remember watching a few minutes of the game on telly while I was waiting for Burnley's result to come up.'

There was a family link with the 13-a-side game in that his brother James and stepbrother Adam played league and helped him develop his physique by knocking him into shape.

It was only when a coach called Ken Giles came on the scene that Fielden's life changed.

'He had something to do with BARLA, the amateur association, and must have seen me playing a bit of rugby union and the odd game of league at school, because he invited me for a trial.

'It turned out to be for York-shire and after a couple of games I got into the side that ended up winning the county championship. So I found myself following Ken to Illingworth, an amateur rugby league club.'

Fielden's talent - he played for the Under 18 team at 15 - soon attracted attention and within two years he had been whisked away to Odsal. He has really caught the eye with the Bulls this season and for England in the World Cup. Victory would see England through to next week's final at Old Trafford, and for soccer fan Fielden that would be almost as good as playing at Turf Moor. Bolton's Reebok Stadium will be the venue for the World Club Challenge between Super League champions St Helens and Australian premiers Brisbane Broncos on Friday, January 26.

Bradford Bulls have signed Australian centre or back row forward Shane Rigon, 23, on a two-year contract from Sydney City Roosters, where he scored 19 tries in 80 appearances.

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