‘It's going to be pretty monumental': Harry Potter eyes Wallabies spot for Lions series
No, Harry Potter – the Australian rugby union winger – hasn't read the books. And the 27-year-old is unlikely to get to them anytime soon, given his focus on securing a precious place in the Wallabies' team for the coming tour of the British and Irish Lions.
'It's a massive, once-in-every-12-years event,' he says in the days before the first Wallabies squad of the year is named on Thursday. 'It's going to be pretty monumental.'
Advertisement
Related: The Breakdown | Trash-talk and rough sleeping: following the 2001 Lions' tour of Australia
The Western Force player has perhaps the best name in Australian sport. But as cute as his moniker may be to non-rugby-following millennials, Potter cares more about how he is viewed by a man of more advanced years: Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt.
The 59-year-old Schmidt has more eclectic literary tastes but it appears, as far as rugby goes, he likes Potter. Under Schmidt, the winger won his two Wallabies caps on the side's European tour at the end of 2024. Yet the competition among Australian outside backs hoping to play the Lions is intense. Even big money rugby league recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, recovering from a broken jaw, is not guaranteed to start in a Wallabies team seeking to re-establish itself as a world power.
Potter says he is nervous ahead of Thursday's announcement, when Schmidt will name a squad for the Test against Fiji, the precursor to the prestigious Lions series. 'A lot rides on getting selected in this next squad,' Potter says. 'It would be great to be in any Wallabies squad but I do feel like this one is an opportunity to beat what should be really the best team in the world.'
Advertisement
The grand tradition of the British & Irish Lions, where four formidable rugby nations combine to challenge the three southern hemisphere powers every four years, is not lost on Potter, who was born in the UK and moved to Melbourne as an 11-year-old. Despite his roots, in the Victorian capital he was quickly won over by his new nation. 'Having an Australian accent certainly makes you feel even more Aussie, even if the rest of my family have English accents,' he says.
But in one area he didn't sway. After growing up in Bristol playing union, he found his new home did not have the same passion for rugby. On ovals in Melbourne's south-west he tried – but quickly gave up – Australian rules football. 'I was not so good at kicking and doing a bit too much tackling around the legs,' he says.
So a young Potter would stick to his earlier sporting passion, even if that made the slim prospect of a professional sport career even slimmer. He admits progressing through Victorian pathways had left him far behind his peers by the time he turned up at Sydney University rugby union training as a first year environmental science student in 2016.It was a bit random really – it was just a uni that I had applied for, and thought I'd go and check it out.'
Potter thrived in one of Australian rugby's storied communities. From playing fly-half at high school, he shifted wider in the backline over a period he grew into and developed what is now a powerful 185cm frame. While he couldn't make firsts in colts (under 19s) in his first year, by his third season he was helping the students' senior first grade to the Shute Shield.
Advertisement
Related: Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii injury not as bad as feared as Wallabies get boost for Lions tour
After injuries and Covid slowed his progress in Australian professional rugby, Potter took a chance in England with powerhouse Leicester in 2020. Within three years he was on the fringes of the England squad under Eddie Jones when he took up an opportunity to join the Western Force, partly motivated by the chance to represent the Wallabies.
Although ankle surgery 14 months ago forced him to miss much of one Super Rugby season, impressive performances on the Force's October tour of South Africa secured a Wallabies call up. 'I was thinking they've got a lot of guys that they can now choose from in the outside backs and do they want to take a risk on another one? But I certainly felt like I did what I could, and put my best foot forward, and I'm grateful that they rolled the dice and took me.'
Since then, Potter has elevated his game, and was named in the Super Rugby Pacific team of the year this season, even as the Force struggled to win matches. He finished near the top of the competition's leaderboards for clean breaks, metres gained and defenders beaten. 'Irrespective of stats, you always have your things that you're desperate to work on and feel like you could have gone better and wanting to improve,' he says.
Advertisement
Potter is now well-established within the Force setup, which includes a handful of former Sydney Uni teammates, even if they tease him about his choice of degree. 'A lot of them take that as an opportunity to think I'm some sort of left wing political activist. But I just studied the degree,' Potter says lightheartedly. 'Nick [Champion de Crespigny] likes to call me Greta Thunberg, but I'm trying to stamp that out of him because I don't think I'm quite there yet.'
Though his contract is up at the end of this season, he is currently enjoying living in Western Australia with housemates, including Force hooker Tom Horton – another former Sydney University and Leicester player – and competing over who makes the best coffee. The group has also recently forced him to sit through all eight Harry Potter movies. 'It was an experience learning about all these things that I've been told in various jokes,' he says.
While his parents once gave him the choice of changing his name, he has long ago become comfortable with it. 'It's a pretty funny name really, it's amazing how people will make jokes. I think, 'God, that joke's been made about 30 times', as I'm sure you hear with Snape jokes as well.'
But as his status in Australian sport rises, he is happy to remain patient with those only now coming across the words on his birth certificate, written not long after the first book was released. After all, Potter says, it could be worse. 'I think Harry Potter is probably a better name than Ron Weasley.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
22 minutes ago
- New York Times
Euro 2025: Spain team guide – have things finally settled for the World Cup winners?
The 2022 European Championship sparked a crisis in Spanish football. The team went to their debut Euros with certain expectations, including a hope of winning their first competition or, at least, going far. But they were eliminated in the first round of the knockout stages by England in extra time. It proved to be the last straw for many players. Advertisement The reckoning was less about losing to England — the eventual winners — and more about Spain's best generation of footballers being let down by a coach who could not help them in certain matches. While off the field, the players felt that the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) did not support them enough or provide them with the professional tools that other countries had. It sparked the 'Las 15' movement, with 15 players refusing to return to play for the RFEF until conditions changed. Only three of the 15 played in the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which Spain won. That final was marred by the non-consensual kiss from Luis Rubiales to Jennifer Hermoso during the celebrations. It also ended with the dismissal of the then-coach, Jorge Vilda, along with Rubiales. Montse Tome was Vilda's assistant coach and, following his dismissal, she was appointed head coach in September 2023. Her first roster was limited by players protesting Rubiales' non-consensual kiss. At her first press conference, ahead of the UEFA Nations League qualifiers against Sweden and Switzerland in September 2023, Tome said she had spoken to all of the players who had declared themselves ineligible as a group. But the players said they had not spoken to the coach. As a result, RFEF and the team's captains met for a long meeting that lasted until the early hours of the morning. The result was a restructuring of the federation. Over time, tensions have settled, but Tome is a coach that many still see as part of Vilda's staff. Despite her saying 'I am not Jorge Vilda' on several occasions, Tome has not managed to fully win the trust of the dressing room and her future with the team after the Euros is uncertain. Spain play in a style very similar to Barcelona. In a 4-3-3 formation, they want to dominate the ball, be offensive through possession and position, and get a lot out of their midfield while playing out of defence. In terms of selection, the defence and midfield are set, with perhaps the only question mark being whether Olga Carmona or Leila Ouahabi will play at left-back. Advertisement Up front, there is an excess of attacking options. Mariona Caldentey has been playing as a right-winger, Esther Gonzalez has returned to the national team in fine form, having scored four goals in the last three games, and Real Madrid's Athenea del Castillo is also in the mix. Another big question is whether Salma Paralluelo or Claudia Pina will play on the left wing, as both have been selected in the squad. Pina has had a great season, but Spain seem to prefer her as a substitute. The midfield trio of Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas is the key to Barcelona's — and Spain's — success. Mariona Caldentey, of Arsenal, provides a bonus to this setup. Caldentey was the Women's Super League (WSL) player of the season and won the Champions League with Arsenal, playing a key role in the final win over Barcelona, her third consecutive Champions League title. Although it is not her ideal position, Tome plays Caldentey as a right-winger. Guijarro has returned to defensive midfield after two years playing in the attack, and this is where she shines most. The 27-year-old organises the team, provides balance between attack and defence, and is the compass for her side. Bonmati was considered one of the top players in the Champions League, but she did not have her best season in Liga F. The 27-year-old still has the ability to shine in big games and is the one who sets the tempo for the team. Putellas is back to form after an ACL injury suffered the day before the start of Euro 2022, which prevented her from performing at her prime in the World Cup and the following season. This season in Liga F, she has been Barcelona's top assist provider and second-highest goalscorer behind Ewa Pajor. The 31-year-old gives the team vision and is a player who tends to make good, quick decisions. An ability to link up well. The World Cup winners know how to play an attacking and entertaining style of football thanks to the talent of one of the best generations of players the national team has ever had. It also helps that the core of the team is made up of Barcelona players, who are used to playing together. Teams that sit back in a defensive block are Spain's biggest weakness. Due to their attacking style of play, they can leave themselves exposed at the back and can be hurt by quick counter-attacks. Jennifer Hermoso and Misa Rodriguez. Both were singled out by Tome for what she considered to be bad behaviour that did not help the team after the Olympic Games, where the team failed to collect a medal. The last Olympic Games were the first time Spain's women had played in the Games, and they were left disappointed. The players expected the organisation to be on a par with the European Championship or the World Cup, but what they found surprised them. The players felt far removed from what the Olympic Games were about, spending little time in the athletes' village. Advertisement 'Did I take anything away from the Olympics? The shirt, nothing else,' Caldentey explained in her book, released earlier this year. On a sporting level, it didn't end as they had hoped either. They started as favourites, but Brazil beat them 4-2 in the semi-finals. They then lost 1-0 to Germany in the bronze medal match. After the Olympics, Spain drew with Italy and Canada (both 1-1). Since then, they have scored 30 goals in eight games and conceded 10. They collected seven wins and only one defeat (1-0 at Wembley against England in February). They beat the Lionesses 2-1 in their last game in Barcelona, which gives them confidence for what lies ahead. Spain and England have been locked in a battle since Euro 2022, and if the two teams meet in the knockouts, it could be quite the rematch. The fact that Spain won the last match in Barcelona, which qualified them for the Nations League semi-final, gives them a boost of confidence. But the memory of the match played at Wembley remains fresh in their minds, as does the fact they have always found it difficult to beat the Lionesses. The group they have been drawn into is manageable: Portugal, Belgium and Italy. They faced the first two opponents in the first phase of the Nations League, beating Portugal 7-1 and 4-2 over two matches. They beat Belgium 5-1 and 3-2 over their two fixtures. In October, they drew 1-1 with Italy, the only opponent who could complicate things. Many are focusing on the semi-finals, where they could face England, though the teams from northern Europe also command a certain amount of respect. In Spain's last starting 11 against England in the Nations League, which will likely be the one Tome will use for the Euros, nine of the 11 players were from Barcelona or had played for the club at some point. Laia Aleixandri played in the club's youth teams and Mariona Caldentey played there until last summer when she signed for Arsenal. Carmona signed with Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in June.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gorden Tallis in tetchy on-air moment with Broncos CEO after legend's sacking
Brisbane Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy copped a grilling on Triple M radio on Sunday, and declared it was the right decision for the club to sack former coach Kevin Walters. But Walters' great mate and club legend Gorden Tallis wasn't about to let Donaghy get away with a small oversight he made when speaking about Walters. Donaghy was part of the decision-making process that led to Walters getting the axe last year after four years in charge of the Broncos. It was a particularly delicate call considering Walters is a club legend and won multiple premierships as a player. On Sunday, journalist James Hooper asked Donaghy whether he still thinks it was the right call to sack Walters given the side's patchy form under new coach Michael Maguire in 2025. Before their great escape against Cronulla to win 34-28, the Broncos had fallen outside the top-eight and were travelling worse than this time last year under Walters. "We made an incredibly difficult decision, and that's the reality of it," Donaghy said. "Kevvie is a great of our club and he put his heart and soul into the place for four years." But sitting in the back of the box, Tallis was quick to interject. "30 years," Tallis said, correcting Donaghy that Walters had put his heart and soul in for four years. Tallis was referencing the fact that Walters made his debut for the Broncos back in 1990, and his roots with the club run much deeper than his four-year stint as coach. Donaghy responded: "Sorry Gordie, 30 years. He did four years as the coach and did a wonderful job and was there for a long, long time. We want to ensure we're acknowledging that and recognising that. But we did feel it was time for a change and we do feel like it was the right decision." RELATED: Origin ramifications after Queensland players caught in ugly scenes Cruel blow for Titans and Queensland as Origin hopeful ruled out Tallis has been one of Walters' most staunch defenders, and the most outspoken Broncos legend to criticise the club for sacking him. He launched into Adam Reynolds last year and suggested he might lose his captaincy, criticising him for appearing on a radio show that Walters' son Billy boycotted due to comments made about his father. Tallis said at the time that Reynolds should have shown solidarity and refused to go on. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Triple M NRL (@triplem_nrl) On Sunday, Donaghy also addressed Selwyn Cobbo's future at the Broncos, which appears to be hanging by a thread. The former State of Origin player has been sent down to reserve grade, and the Broncos can reportedly only offer a new contract in the vicinity of $350,000 per year. Cobbo is said to have met with the Roosters, Dragons, Dolphins and Cowboys, and will likely earn a much larger contract if he leaves the Broncos. "From where we sit right now we are hopeful that he continues with us, but we understand the [financial] sacrifices that come along with it," Donaghy said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bulldogs offer another player to rival clubs in wake of Lachie Galvin's signing
The future of another Bulldogs player looks set to lie away from Canterbury, as the club continues its mid-season shake-up in the wake of Lachie Galvin's signing. is reporting that the Dogs have offered former Warriors young gun Zyon Maiu'u to rival NRL clubs, just four months after signing him on a two-year deal. The 21-year-old prop - who debuted in the NRL with the Warriors last season - was signed with the Auckland-based side until the end of the 2026 season. But he was granted an early release after looking for more opportunities in first grade and the Bulldogs hailed the young middle forward's signing in February. "The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are excited to announce the signing of boom youngster Zyon Maiu'u on a two-year deal, effective immediately," the club said at the time. But four months can be a long time in footy and Galvin's unexpected arrival after being released by the Tigers, has left the Dogs needing to offload players to navigate a tricky salary cap situation. Canterbury agreed to release Kurtis Morrin last week, with the versatile forward joining the Gold Coast Titans for the next two seasons, effective immediately. And it appears that Maiu'u is also surplus to requirements at coach Cameron Ciraldo's Bulldogs, with the club reportedly offering him up to rival clubs after giving the young prop limited opportunities to try and break into their first grade squad. RELATED: Roosters make call on DCE as pressure mounts for club to backflip Queensland Origin twist after ugly scenes for Walsh and Hammer Blow for Titans and Queensland after Origin hopeful ruled out Morrin's departure comes as the Dogs snapped up emerging Dragons forward Finau Latu in another mid-season boost for their premiership hopes. Latu had already signed a three-year deal to join Canterbury from next season, but the clubs agreed on a mid-season switch before the June 30 deadline. Dragons coach Shane Flanagan had already vented his frustrations in April about being unable to hang onto the forward. 'I wanted to keep him and I'm not happy about the negotiation side of it,' Flanagan said in April. 'It's been handled poorly, terribly... The way that it was handled by his management, was handled poorly, really poorly. We've brought that young bloke up the last three or four years and we wanted to keep him and never got an opportunity to.' Galvin's arrival from the Tigers has been the biggest mid-season move from the Bulldogs though, with the 19-year-old playmaker turning the ladder-leading Bulldogs into an even greater premiership threat in 2025. But it has also cast a cloud over the futures of off-contract Bulldogs halfback Toby Sexton and veteran hooker, Reed Mahoney. Sexton's form in particular has been instrumental to Canterbury's rise to the top of the ladder and he was excellent at No.7 alongside Galvin in their round 15 victory over Souths, before the Dogs enjoyed the bye in round 16. Galvin has already forced Sexton to shift into hooker earlier this season and it will be curious to see where Ciraldo plays the pair when first-choice No.6 Matt Burton returns for Thursday night's clash against the in-form Panthers. Mahoney has also seen his future at the Dogs called into question after Galvin's arrival and cut a frustrated figure in the sheds after being taken off in the second half of the teenage recruit's first game for the club. He was also replaced late in the victory against Souths, only to come back on minutes later with the game on the line. Mahoney is contracted with the Dogs until the end of next season but with his future unclear and an extension yet to be tabled, he'll be free to speak to rival clubs from November 1 unless a deal is done before then.
