THE TONY SMITH COLUMN - "Call me Dual Citizen Smith"

As the England World Cup squad heads off to Australia for the World Cup, their Australian head coach reflects on his new British citizenship and looks forward to the opening game against Papua New Guinea

EXCLUSIVE By Tony Smith, England Head Coach

This is it. We're finally here, ready to board our flight for Australia and the World Cup. I'm leaving the country on an Australian passport and I'll be returning in six weeks on my new British passport, which will have come through by then after my recent successful British citizenship application. Hopefully, we'll have the World Cup trophy itself to declare at customs when we arrive back at Manchester.

We're well prepared, we've got an exciting squad and we're setting off to the land of my birthplace to win. I'm a dual citizen these days and, yes, I know the whole thing about me becoming British will be raised when we get to Australia. Reporters will ask whether I know the words to God Save The Queen. I'll tell them - yes. I sang it as the Australian national anthem up to the age of nine. I'd refrained here from singing it before my citizenship, because I didn't feel I had a right to.

I'm not being unpatriotic to my upbringing and heritage by becoming a British citizen. However, circumstances change for individuals. The rules have altered in allowing you to be a citizen of two countries. Because of my extended family in Australia, I wouldn't relinquish my Australian passport, but I see myself living in Britain for some time to come and continuing to contribute to the British game. I feel this is my home now and I'm proud to say so.

All my family have been very supportive and they all congratulated myself and my wife Lisa and our two children on becoming British citizens. They understand that this is where our life is now and how committed I am to doing the job I'm doing.

Coaches of a different nationality in charge of nationals teams is all part of world sport now. I was conscious, though, about wanting to show the commitment I've felt towards this country for some time. It was also an additional way of demonstrating my commitment to the players.

The original plan when I got the Huddersfield job in 2000 was to stay a couple of years, but that all changed and has evolved over the years. We talked about two years, then it was a case of when we go back eventually, then a matter of if we go back and now the chances are that we won't go back. If that's the case, we'll be happy.

The citizenship process took about six months. What is a test of Britishness ? It's a difficult one. The citizenship test we took would involve British-born people having to study for. It was a case of some cultural things and a lot of statistical knowledge based on the 2001 census, such as populations of the individual home nations. It was like taking your driving test all over again. But it was a valuable and worthwhile process that got you thinking and which I fully support.

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I've a great group around me on the coaching and management team. I've seen an improvement in our preparation this year as a result of their input. The fact that Graeme Thompson has been able to commit himself full time to managing the team has been invaluable. As an example of the meticulous preparation off the field, all the non-playing staff have done psychometric tests to learn a little more about ourselves and the way we operate. All eleven travelling out have bought into that.

We'll have a week at our training base on the Gold Coast and then it will be up to Townsville on the Wednesday before the opening group game there against Papua New Guinea on the Saturday night. It's going to be some atmosphere. They travel for hours and hour to get to a game in that town. You only have to step off the plane there and you're struck by the passion for rugby league by seeing the number of North Queensland Cowboys shirts being worn.

They may well be on the side of PNG, because of the rivalry between England and Australia, but that will just add to the atmosphere. I'm sure we'll be well represented with our touring parties. You can take no game for granted. Every game is a challenge in itself, whether it's the quality of player you're playing against, the venue, the climate, but they're all the challenges we're ready for, preparing for and are looking forward to.

PNG are both a known and unknown quantity. We know their English-based players and Australian-based players, but the guys from PNG itself coming in make it a bit of an unknown quantity for themselves, too. We've got an idea of some of what we can expect from their game against an Australian President's team the other week. But I feel that the first game is more about us being ready. I'm sure we will be.

Tony Smith was talking to Chris Irvine

Comments

[Blake]

Good Luck to Tony and the English team. Give it to the Aussies and bring back the trophy.

[Outback John]

True Brit Tony, now true grit in OZ!

[Jay]

Good luck Tony. I feel quitely optimistic this time.

[Loiner]

Good luck to Tony and the lads, we've got a great chance of winning the cup and stuffing it to the Aussies on their own patch.

[mike hunt]

Come on guys lets have it......

[Hastie Smith]

Nice article Tony. The very best of luck to you and the England team over the next 6 weeks.

[mike]

Im fklying out this friday will be the after a few days in sydney for the PNG game, come on england!

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