Huddersfield Giants prop Chris Hill reflects on the highs and lows of his Rugby League career

Growing up Chris Hill had two choices as a young lad, football or rugby?

With his father describing his footballing technique as having ‘two left feet’ the only other option was Rugby League.

Luckily for him, Wigan Warriors already ran through his family.

“In Wigan, you can’t go anywhere without there being an amateur Rugby League club nearby. Growing up I was bred with it; my grandma was a steward at Central Park. I used to be a big Wigan fan when I was younger, I would sit on the famous wall at the front before we went in and then I would sit on my grandad’s knee during the game.”

Hill’s first training session with his local Rugby League side St Patricks didn’t go to plan with his mother taking him to the wrong age group.

“After we found out football wasn’t going to be a path I was taking, we went down to my local team which was St Patricks at the time.

“When I first went down to training, I played for the year above. My father was supposed to take me but something came up, and my mum ended up taking me and she took me to the wrong age group. So, I ended up playing for the year above. I played with Joel Tomkins and I was really good friends with him and Sam.”

Coming off the back of his testimonial year following 10 successful seasons at the Warrington Wolves, the former Wire captain has moved to the Huddersfield Giants ahead of the 2022 season. However, his route into the sport wasn’t plain sailing.

“I was at Wigan [Warriors] when I was 14/15. All of my mates were getting picked up by clubs and I was in the development squad when they started offering scholarships. I remember Dean Bell bringing me and my dad into his office and saying: ‘I’m sorry but we don’t think he is good enough’. I was obviously devastated.

“All my mates were going to different clubs whilst I went back to amateur. Funnily enough, he [Dean Bell] tried to sign me 10 years later when he was at New Zealand Warriors.”

“I knew there were players that were better than me. Tommy and James Coyle were both better and they got contracts so I could sort of take it. I was devastated when they told me I wasn’t good enough, that’s why I tell kids now never give up.

“Luckily for me, Leigh [Centurions] was up and coming and the lads who were let go from St Helens, Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves formed the squad.

“That was when I was 16. I played a couple of years at under-18 level, one game with the under-21s, and then in 2005, they were in the Super League. Towards the end of the season, I was brought into the first team and I made my debut at 17 at home to St Helens.”

Making his Super League debut coming off the bench against a St Helens side who had Sean Long, Jamie Lyon, James Graham and James Roby was a difficult challenge as it is, but entering the game at half-time trailing by 40 points wasn’t the perfect debut scenario.

“We got battered in the first half, we were heavily down and then I was brought on for the second half. I thought cheers!

“To make my debut was unreal! At the time Saints were the top side, to go and watch them was great but to sit on the bench and watch them run through us was tough, but I could have done with sitting on the bench for the rest of the game I will be honest.

“We kicked off for the second half and Nick Fozzard must have seen me come on because he steamed straight at me. I got on the wrong side of him and he clipped me on the side of the head and ran over the top of me.

“I got up and he said welcome to the Super League lad! He’s a big human, but after that, I enjoyed the game, but I didn’t enjoy him running at me!”

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