When two young rugby league players board a plane bound for France next week they will become part of a growing tradition between Cahors and Campbelltown.
Cahors is a small town situated in a wine growing region in the south west of France.
Once there, the two East Campbelltown Eagles players, Blake Draper and Jake Bottfield, will play in the French Rugby League competition for Cahors Blue Devils 13.
Blake will be following in the footsteps of his father, Daniel Draper, who played for Cahors during the 1999-2000 French season.
Daniel Draper, the current general manager of East Campbelltown, is one of a long line of locals who have played for Cahors over the years.
One of them is the current Wests Magpies administrator and former player Leo Epifania.
But it hasn’t been one way traffic, with Cahors players coming out to play for the East Campbelltown Eagles as recently as this season.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“I’m always proud to see our players go to France but I’m very proud to see my son follow in my footsteps and play for Cahors,’’ says Daniel Draper.[/social_quote]
“I’m looking forward to watching him play over there.
“The East Campbelltown Eagles would like to thank the Cahors Rugby League Club for giving our players the opportunity to experience the beautiful country France is, and meet the fantastic people of this amazing wine region.’’
His son Blake, who has been playing with the Eagles for 15 years, is a lock forward, second row or hooker.
He was a member of East Campbelltown’s 2016 U19 premiership winning team.
Jake Bottfiled, who plays front row, was a member of this year’s East Campbelltown U19 team.
Both have been part of the Western Suburbs Magpies Junior Development Programs and attended St Gregory’s College Campbelltown.
Meanwhile three East Campbelltown Eagles were recently named in the 2017 Sydney Shield team of the year.
Having Ben Baker, Frederick Tevaga and Mason Talolua in there would have somewhat eased the club’s disappointment at being bundled out of the 2017 finals in week two.
It’s not much of a consolation, but St Marys, the team that ended the Eagles’ season, went on to win the grand final on Sunday by beating Mounties.
East Campbelltown, who won the 2016 premiership, were hit by a raft of injuries at the business end of the season and it all caught up with them in the finals.
