Departing lock Rory Arnold wants to repay the ACT Brumbies for plucking him out of a northern NSW sugar mill to launch a rugby career, vowing to leave nothing in the tank before he moves to France.
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Arnold is set to play his first game of the year in the Brumbies' trial against the NSW Waratahs in Goulburn on Thursday nights to start his Super Rugby farewell season.
The reigning Brumbies player of the year will join Toulouse at the end of the year, but before he leaves he wants to help the ACT side force its way back into the finals and chase Wallabies World Cup selection.
Arnold was driving a forklift and bagging sugar for work when the Brumbies plucked him from northern NSW to give him a Super Rugby chance and the 29-year-old has repaid them with a rapid rise to the top.
"When I go home and talk to my mum, she reminds me that four or five five years ago I was playing third grade in Mullumbimby and working at the sugar mill," Arnold grinned.
"Two or three years after that I was making my debut for the Wallabies - it's been a whirlwind. I guess you don't reflect when it happens so fast. I've been very lucky.
"Knowing this is my last season in Canberra, I want to have a great year and push for the World Cup. I want to repay Canberra and the Brumbies. Before I moved here I was working a normal job, but they gave me an opportunity and I can honestly say it changed my life.
"I'd love to repay them for that by having a great season and hopefully doing something pretty special."
The Brumbies will roll out most of their starters for the clash against the Waratahs, but they have agreed to rest some of their key Wallabies until the opening round of the regular season.
It's likely David Pocock, Allan Alaalatoa and Scott Sio will be held back from game time until the Brumbies play against the Melbourne Rebels on February 15.
Arnold is itching to play after getting minimal game time since the end of the Super Rugby season. He played in four Wallabies Tests but his spring tour was cut short by a fractured cheekbone.
Arnold, the tallest player in Super Rugby history, will be a key man in the Brumbies hopes of success this year after the best season of his career in 2018.
"There's a different feeling around this year," Arnold said. "We finished last year so strong ... I'm really excited to get back and be a part of this group.
"There's a good buzz around at the moment. It's a World Cup year, but you've got to have a good Super Rugby season to have a chance of getting in that [Wallabies] squad.
"There's a lot of depth in Australia, particularly in the lock spots, so I won't be taking my jersey for granted and I have to prove it in the trial against the 'Tahs. I can't wait."
Rugby Australia will launch the Super Rugby season in Sydney on Tuesday, with the governing body investing more money to promote the competition this year.
The Brumbies will play three New Zealand teams in the first seven games of the season, giving them an early test of their finals credentials after snapping a trans-Tasman drought last year.
BRUMBIES PRE-SEASON
February 7: Brumbies v NSW Waratahs at Goulburn, 6.30pm. Entry is free for Brumbies and Waratahs members.
SUPER RUGBY ROUND ONE
February 15: ACT Brumbies v Melbourne Rebels at Canberra Stadium, 7.45pm.
