Doug Wooldridge of the Castaway Wanderers began the week preparing for the upcoming start of the sa国际传媒 Premier rugby season while working full time as a Victoria elevator repair and maintenance contractor.
But on Wednesday he was suddenly flying off to play with big-time French pro club ASM Clermont Auvergne. Using a hockey analogy, it would be the equivalent of a call-up to the Vancouver Canucks from a senior men鈥檚 league team. At the age of 30.
鈥淭hey sent the contract two days ago and since then, I鈥檝e sort of been swept off my feet,鈥� said Wooldridge, who has also played for the UVic Vikes and Cowichan Green Piggies.
鈥淚 had to jump at it, or the offer would be gone forever.鈥�
Clermont鈥檚 two tight-head props went down with injuries. Club management remembered Wooldridge鈥檚 strong performance in the front row against France last fall at the 2015 World Cup, in which he started all four games for sa国际传媒. On the strength of that, Clermont offered Wooldridge a three-month contract to get through their injury situation. Whether he stays, will be up to his performance.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like a dream,鈥� said the six-foot, 285-pound Wooldridge.
鈥淚鈥檓 waiting for reality to hit.鈥�
His role will be specific.
鈥淭he scrum is No. 1 for me,鈥� he said.
鈥淚f I do well in that, the rest is a bonus.鈥�
Wooldridge matched up well against the pros in the World Cup, so is going in with confidence.
鈥淭his is a big opportunity, but also a big task. We called the pro players we faced in the World Cup 鈥榌physical] freaks鈥� and it was a tough challenge going up against them, but we did it,鈥� he noted.
鈥淚 am confident I can smash with them.鈥�
Wooldridge鈥檚 French is limited but fianc茅e Crystal Lavigne of Victoria, who will meet him there, is fluent.
鈥淲e are treating it as an adventure,鈥� said the native of Lindsay, Ont.
Cleremont (7-4-1) is currently tied atop the French elite Top 14 League, with Racing and Toulouse, and also contests the Heineken Cup and European Champions Cup. Clermont was finalist, behind winner Stade Francais, in the 2015 French championship game.
Wooldridge, who has 23 caps, was part of a strong CW contingent on the Canadian roster at the 2015 World Cup which also included Ciaran Hearn, Nanyak Dala, Ray Barkwill, Hubert Buydens, Jebb Sinclair and Jake Ilnicki.
From that CW group, Hearn also landed a pro contract in November and joined Sinclair on the Premiership club London Irish.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just a bunch of good ol鈥� Canadian players on CW,鈥� said Wooldridge.
鈥淲e come from across the country to Victoria to chase our rugby dreams, because the national team is based here, and found a great home club in CW that provides us with great coaching and camaraderie.鈥�
SCRUM NOTES: CW meets the UNCOB Ravens in a Canadian Direct Insurance sa国际传媒 Premier League exhibition fixture Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Windsor Park. The sa国际传媒 Premier season officially kicks off concurrently Saturday in Vancouver with the defending champion UBC Thunderbirds hosting the UVic Vikes, a league game that also stands as the first leg of the annual UVic-UBC Wightman Boot competition.
The other clubs open the sa国际传媒 Premier regular season Jan. 30
