New Cornwall signing Darcy Simpson (left) with head coach Mike Abbott (right) – Photo: Cornwall RLFC
Cornwall have signed young utility Darcy Simpson for the upcoming 2024 League 1 campaign, with the Australian making the move from Queensland Cup champions Brisbane Tigers.
At 21, Simpson has appearances for the regional academy at NRL outfit North Queensland Cowboys on his CV, along with some state representation having featured for Queensland’s under-21’s.
The starlet holds both an Australian and a British passport, and can line up either at centre or in the second row.
Penning a one-year deal, he becomes Cornwall’s newest addition, and the most recent since the trio of Malikhi Lloyd-Jones, Liam O’Callaghan and dual-code utility Christian Bannister were announced on Christmas Eve.
A total of 18 players have inked deals with the club ahead of 2024.
Australian utility Darcy Simpson snapped up by League 1 club ahead of 2024: ‘He comes highly recommended’
The Choughs announced Simpson’s arrival via their club website last night, with the overseas ace relishing the opportunity to get stuck into the British game.
He said: “Over the past few seasons, I have always had hopes and aspirations to come and play football in England. I have a few contacts over here, and they all said, ‘you have to go to a beautiful place like Cornwall’.
“The scenery is lovely and it is a great club. I have looked at the direction Cornwall have moved in over the past two seasons, and I really like what I see.
“I am hoping that I can help get the football club where they want to be – both on the field and in the community. In the past few years, I have played in both Queensland and New South Wales, so it is going to be different over here.
“I played in 35 degree heat, so coming over here, I know I will be playing in different conditions but it is still really exciting. I pride myself on hard work and the club pride themselves on that too, so this is going to be a good fit for me.”
Cornwall head coach Mike Abbott led the South West outfit to a 9th place finish in the third tier this year, winning five of their 18 league games.
On the signing of Simpson, the boss added: “Darcy will be a fantastic addition to the squad and he comes highly recommended from Australia after playing in the Queensland Cup.
“He will add further depth to our back row options, and he could also play in the back division as a centre if needed.
“We have seen the impact Australian players have made to the Cornwall cause over the past two seasons, and we are looking forward to seeing Darcy follow in the footsteps of Cam Brown and Luke Collins.”
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