TWIN PEAKS

IFE AT the sugar mill was, well, pretty sweet. “Cruisey” is, in fact, how Richie Arnold describes the laid-back life of driving loaders in New South Wales. He had, by his own admission, some leeway with the company.

It helped that his identical twin brother, Rory, had gone on to play at the very highest level of Australian rugby having come through the same mill. So as Richie cut out early some days to traipse off to train or play, everyone hoped they would soon get to boast about another famous former employee.

“There are probably tougher gigs!” the 6ft 10in second-row tells Rugby World. “When I started playing in Queensland, I’d have to knock off at the mill early to go up to footy. They were really good, though. They let me chase the dream.”

That was not elite rugby. Richie was, you could say, a late bloomer. Though it might be more accurate to call