Will Christie signs semi-professional contract with English club Bury St Edmunds

Noosa Dolphins rugby union talent Will Christie is aiming to make it to the top after signing with a semi-professional club on the other side of the world.

Noosa Dolphins a-grade rugby union captain Will Christie has edged another step closer to his elite level dream after signing a contract with semi-professional England based club, Bury St Edmunds.

Christie, who grew up playing junior and senior rugby for Noosa, as well as various Sunshine Coast, South East Queensland and Queensland Country representative sides, graduated from St Teresa’s Catholic College in 2016.

The 23-year-old said he was excited for the coming months.

“They are the highest ranked rugby club in Suffolk and Norfolk for men and play in the National 2 South competition in the UK,” he said.

“This is a very exciting milestone for me as I always dreamt of being able to take rugby abroad and challenge myself in the higher levels.

“Since I first heard about some of the senior boys at the Dolphins going overseas with rugby I knew that it was going to be my goal to push for higher levels overseas and to do some travelling during the summer time in the off-season.”

Noosa Dolphins 2022 a-grade captain Will Christie has signed with Bury St Edmunds in England. Picture: Contributed

Christie said he was waiting to complete his clinical exercise physiology university degree before heading overseas.

In 2022 the crafty halfback was named Noosa captain, crowned best back of the season and awarded the Inaugural Greg Dodd Memorial Medal with South East Queensland at the Queensland Country Championships in Toowoomba.

“Honestly they’re all things that I didn’t expect to happen when they did but in the back of my mind I knew they were all goals I wanted to strive towards,” Christie said.

“I try to always set high expectations of myself especially when it comes to footy, so having the year that I have had, getting these achievements has been enlightening knowing that all the years of hard work is starting to show.”

He said it had been a bittersweet experience but thanked the efforts of his family, friends, coaches and teammates for their support.

“There’s a lot of people I could thank, but mainly the Noosa Dolphins for providing such a great platform for both men and women to strive to be the best they can be in their rugby journeys,” he said.