No end to Dan Caprice’s magical mystery tour
Over the past three years he has travelled the Sevens circuit with England, sampled the high life in Biarritz and experienced the hard-nosed world of New Zealand rugby.
But now the 23-year-old wing admits he has no clue what the future holds once his current short-term deal with London Welsh expires at the end of the month.
Once tipped as a future England star after joining the Saracens academy in 2005, Chatham-born Caprice has developed a serious case of wanderlust.
His most recent forays have taken him from France to England via New Zealand. He turned his back on Biarritz, whom he had joined in 2011, for a stint with Northland in the ITM Cup before joining the Exiles.
It was all part of the learning process for a player who still feels he has plenty to offer.
“It’s been a weird year looking back,” Caprice told The Rugby Paper. “I’ve played in three countries but that’s sport, I guess, and when you get an opportunity that excites you, you go for it.
“I’d always wanted to go to New Zealand. They play a different style and I had the opportunity to go out there and play in the ITM Cup.
“It was brilliant and I really enjoyed it, although the short season meant I was always looking for a team back here. As a winger in New Zealand you see a bit more of the ball and it was good to get a different perspective on the game.
“And as a life experience it was fantastic, although it’s been a bit of a whirlwind with coming straight back here.
“The people in New Zealand were lovely but the rugby’s hard, especially with a lot of Maori in Whangarei where I was based.
“There’s a real edge to their rugby but they were welcoming people and I stepped into it straight away.”
In an ideal world, Caprice would have made more of a “too good to be true” opportunity with Biarritz, which followed a productive two-year stint with the
England Sevens side during which he scored 24 tries in 16 events in the HSBC World Series.
“Biarritz is a lovely place and I enjoyed my time there, but I wasn’t playing much and coming from Sevens straight into a 15s environment meant it took time to gel,” he explained.
“It looked the dream move but it can be tough, especially when you’re young and there’s a language barrier. It’s a bit easier developing closer to home.
“You don’t want to be sitting on the bench all the time, either, and Biarritz were bringing in a new winger, so I thought it was time to move on.”
London Welsh have provided a temporary home for Caprice, but where the wandering star will end up next is anybody’s guess. Ideally he would like a full-time contract, but failing that a return to the Sevens circuit cannot be dismissed.
He added: “I’m enjoying playing for London Welsh and am hoping I can stay and that it’ll work out here. But in sport, who knows?
“I’m trying to concentrate on Welsh at the moment but Sevens might be an option. England have got a good squad but I love Sevens and you could never write it off.
“England have a great set-up and the 2016 Olympics catches your eye, but I don’t want to look too far ahead, I’ll take each week as it comes.
“Things never work out how you plan them and I’m pretty laid back, so I’ll take it in my stride and if I’m enjoying something, I’ll stick with it and give it my all.”
NEALE HARVEY
