James Dargaville packed two weeks' worth of clothes and walked out the door of his Tokyo hotel room. Almost five months later he is yet to go back.
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The former Japan Sunwolves flyer thinks it might be another two months before everything he left behind is sent to him after his Super Rugby swansong went awry.
The Sunwolves were left out in the cold when the coronavirus pandemic brought the globe-trotting Super Rugby format to a grinding halt, leaving Dargaville to find a new path.
So the ex-ACT Brumby returned to Canberra to be with his partner and thus paved the way for a Gungahlin Eagles return against Wests at Jamison Oval in the John I Dent Cup opener on Saturday.
It is a small step back into normality for Dargaville after his Tokyo stint ended in circumstances beyond anybody's wildest dreams.
MORE BRUMBIES
"All our baggage is still over there, we haven't got it back yet. We went for a two week tour of Australia and New Zealand, and we never went back," Dargaville said.
"We were [living] in a hotel the entire time, which was one of the weird things about the Sunwolves. We're constantly on the road so we were just in a hotel.
"It's pretty complex and a logistical nightmare for everyone. All my winter stuff for winter in Tokyo could be pretty handy for winter in Canberra right now, but that's the way it is."
The Sunwolves played in Wellington on February 29 before shifting to Australia amid concern about Japanese borders being slammed shut - soon enough all hell broke loose.
"It was dribs and drabs of information. We'd hear something from the Australian Super Rugby boys and then we'd hear something from the Sunwolves. It was a bit frustrating, there wasn't a lot of communication," Dargaville said.
"We were in Coogee for a couple of weeks, played the Brumbies in Wollongong, then the Crusaders in Brisbane and that was it.
"It was a weird couple of weeks there when we were all in the unknown. We were sent home and kept training, the expectation was there would be another competition. But with the way it worked out, the Sunwolves weren't able to be a part of it."
So while the Brumbies are preparing to play their bitter interstate rivals in the NSW Waratahs in a Super Rugby AU showdown at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday, Dargaville will be at Jamison Oval.
And while the Brumbies will play in an 83,500-seat stadium, Dargaville's Eagles will play in front of nobody.
No crowds will be allowed into the venue, with fans being asked to stay away from grounds in round one as officials look to cope with a restriction of 100 people per venue.
Jamison Oval is set to run at capacity throughout the match day as officials look to balance players, coaches and support staff from five grades. Sounds hectic, but it's not like Dargaville isn't used to that.
"The past couple of years for me have been pretty chaotic," Dargaville said.
"Lots of short-term deals in New Zealand, Japan and then Japan again. It'll be nice to have a bit of stability and comfort knowing where I'm going to be for the next couple of years."
JOHN I DENT CUP ROUND ONE
Saturday: Tuggeranong Vikings v Queanbeyan Whites at Viking Park, 3.05pm, Canberra Royals v Uni-Norths Owls at Phillip Oval, 3.05pm, Wests v Gungahlin Eagles at Jamison Oval, 3.15pm. All games on Saturday.
Women's: Canberra Royals v Uni-Norths Owls at Phillip Oval, 1.40pm, Wests v Goulburn at Weetangera Oval, 1.50pm.
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
