Apprentice plumber, solar panel installer, courier driver, dairy farmer… Olympian?
That’s the potential journey for the latest debutant out of the Australian Men’s Rugby Sevens program, 24-year-old Josh Turner, who can also add full-time trainer to the list – in more than one sense, as we’ll get to later on.
Born and raised in New Zealand, Josh moved to Australia in 2016 to continue a Rugby journey that had already seen him Captain New Zealand at U19 Rugby Sevens level, as well as represent Thames Valley against the likes of current Brumbies star Toni Pulu in a Ranfurly Shield challenge against Counties Manukau.
With his speed and eye for the tryline spotted across the ditch, Turner was given an opportunity to join the Manly Marlins Rugby Club three and a half years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
“I was contacted by Manly and asked to come across and play some Shute Shield footy,” Turner tells RUPA from Fiji, where he’s currently holidaying with his family after making his debut in last weekend’s Oceania Sevens tournament.
“I ummed and aahed for a while, and eventually I came over to play in a Sevens tournament and check out the Club to see what it was like. I loved it so much straight away, thought it was the place to go, and never looked back!”
Josh had an instant impact on the northern beaches, where he’s scored a staggering 40 tries in 52 Shute Shield appearances, and off the back of that received the opportunity to represent the Sydney Rays in the 2017 and 2018 National Rugby Championship (NRC) seasons, scoring six tries in ten appearances – and finding himself some admirers in the process!
“(Rugby Sevens General Manager) Scott Bowen and (Head Coach) Tim Walsh noticed me playing in the NRC and asked me to be involved with the Aussie Sevens program. Even though I have always played Sevens and XVs, I hadn't necessarily thought Sevens was my sport until I got a bit older, but it was definitely a great opportunity to sign a full-time contract.”
When Turner first moved to Australia, he worked on the fast ferry, “throwing the rope and tying the boat off.” His next step had been to gain his personal training certificate, and start working in that space, something he’d been thoroughly enjoying but would have to sacrifice to play Rugby professionally.
“Personal training is something I truly have a passion for. I love helping people and helping to change their lives for the better, but I always dreamt of being a professional Rugby player and once I got the opportunity to show my wares in front of the people that mattered, I was determined to make it.”
Walsh cited Josh’s “creativity, speed, agility and never say die attitude” upon adding him to the program, but while the wheels were in motion for him to gain his citizenship, it would take another twelve months for that to be approved. Josh’s mum’s grandfather was born in Australia, but that wouldn’t be of any assistance when it came to eligibility.
It meant having to do his best to impress the coaching staff in training, investing just as much time and energy as his teammates towards managing his body and diet, but without having the opportunity to be selected for any official World Rugby sanctioned tournaments. It meant being a different type of professional trainer.
“I’m not going to lie; it’s definitely been hard at times to have basically spent a year and a half as a professional trainer. Of course, it was frustrating, but I couldn’t do anything about it and I kept reminding myself that I was still making a living from playing Rugby.
“I was chasing my dream and sacrificed a fair bit on a pretty modest contract. One of the hardest things I have done is to keep going and stay committed to it, but I’m grateful every day that I get to do this for a job.”
Turner’s citizenship came through about two and a half months ago, a source of massive relief and excitement to not only him but also his teammates and coaches, who’ve seen how hard he works and how desperate he was for an opportunity to play for Australia. He was selected in the Oktoberfest 7s squad, before his official debut at the Oceania Rugby Sevens in Fiji, which doubled as a qualifier for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
This was no small stage for Josh to make his debut either; Australia needed to ensure that they beat Samoa in a Semi Final match-up to qualify for Tokyo, and it’s fair to say that he was fairly emotional at the enormity of what he had achieved in the lead up.
“We did the jersey presentation a few days before the competition, and we had to get up and say what the jersey meant to us, and I just couldn’t get any words out. It really means so much to me, and I was speechless at the honour.
“As your life progresses, opportunities arise which you don’t expect, and that’s what representing Australia has been for me. My daughter was born here, I love Australia, it’s my home and the opportunity I have been given is amazing.
“My mum and dad came over from New Zealand to watch in Fiji, which was a dream come true, and after the first game I looked over and they were wearing my Aussie training jerseys, which shows how much it must mean to them as Kiwis!”
After comfortably getting through the pool stages, with Josh scoring a hat-trick of tries against Nauru in the process, it came to a straight shootout against Samoa for an automatic qualification place, with the loser forced to head to a repechage tournament in a last-ditch attempt to qualify. Essentially, four months of training, or in Josh’s case nearly eighteen, were focused on a fourteen-minute window.
“It was a crazy moment, as we’d had such a hard preparation for four months with one definitive goal at the end of it. I that we had it in us to go out there and get the job done, but we fell 12-0 down at Half Time and it wasn’t necessarily looking like it was going to go our way. Fortunately, the boys dug deep and got it done, 19-12.
“It was the most amazing feeling, and I’ve never experienced anything like it in Rugby.”
A maiden World Rugby Sevens series appearance is the next goal, with Turner keen to do everything in his power to make partner Ruby and 10-month-old daughter Pippa proud.
“I’m super keen to play as much footy as I can,” he said. “Ever since I have been in the program, I have just been focused on com ing to training every day, and trying to get better myself, and get better for the team.
“Pippa and Ruby are my reasons for what I do and seeing her growing up in this beautiful country and knowing that I can represent her and Australia, it’s just amazing.
“I want to work as hard as I can to get in that squad for Tokyo - it would mean more than anything in the world.”
Photos supplied courtesy Rugby.com.au & Karen Watson
