Former Wales captain Gareth Thomas set for rugby league switch to Celtic Crusaders
By Graham Clutton
Published: 5:27PM GMT 16 Feb 2010
Thirty-five year old Thomas, who announced he was homosexual in December, is understood to have already held talks with the Wrexham-based Super League side.
However, with Blues coach Dai Young expecting his veteran wing to train with the Blues on Wednesday before taking his place in the 22 for Friday’s Magners League game against Glasgow Warriors, talk of an imminent switch to north Wales appears to be a little premature.
The Crusaders are keen to build on the momentum of the five-figure sell-out crowd they attracted to the Racecourse Ground for the first game of the Super League season against Leeds Rhinos last month. They see big-name signings, from union and league as the perfect way of achieving that with Thomas, who is still the most capped Welshman in union history, more than fitting the bill.
Still, with the majority of those union players coming out of contract in may unable to negotiate transfers until after March 1, his expected move to north Wales is unlikely to take place until the end of the current union season.
A source at the Crusaders said: “I think people are jumping to conclusions here. of course, a player of Alfie’s status would be on the radar, but unless things change dramatically over the coming days, an immediate switch is highly unlikely.”
Although an iconic figure with a wonderful try-scoring record, the major concern for Crusaders coach Brian Noble would surely be Thomas’ age and lack of league experience.
An outstanding servant to the 15-man code over the past two decades, Thomas, who is 36 in July, has never played league and might be deemed too old to start now.
Having made his debut for Wales against Japan in 1995, the former Bridgend, Cardiff and Toulouse three-quarter, scored a Welsh record-equalling four tries in the match against Italy in Treviso in 1999. He is one of only seven players to achieve that feat for his country.
He held the Wales record for the most international tries with 40 until Shane Williams surpassed that total in the 2008 Six Nations Championship, but still retains the record for most Test appearances for his country, with 100.
Thomas was selected for the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand and following injury to Brian O’Driscoll in the opening minutes of the first test against the All Blacks, he was made captain for the second and third tests of the series, becoming the ninth Welsh skipper in Lions history.
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Former Wales captain Gareth Thomas set for rugby league switch to Celtic Crusaders
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Tags: magners league, march 1, welshman
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