Jy Hitchcox, Dane Chisholm to clash on UK’s Million Pound Game 2021

They met playing as juniors for the Mullum Giants, but as men will face off as their respective teams fight to ascend into the English Super League.

Toulouse Olympique's Jy Hitchcox and Featherstone Rovers' Dane Chisholm met as Mullumbimby Giants junior players and remain close friends while playing rugby in Europe.

Two men from the Byron Shire will face off in the English Super League’s Million Pound Game.

Jy Hitchcox, 32, plays for the Toulouse Olympique, while Dane Chisholm, 31, is signed with the Featherstone Rovers.

They met as junior players for Mullumbimby Giants.

The teams will clash on Sunday (4am Monday in NSW) at the Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse, France.

The Million Pound Game is an annual playoff to decide which Championship team will be promoted to the Super League the next season.

The men have remained close friends since their days playing for the Giants, even becoming godparents of each other’s children.

But on Sunday night that friendship will be put aside for the duration of the match.

Toulouse Olympique‘s Jy Hitchcox and Featherstone Rovers’ Dane Chisholm met as Mullumbimby Giants junior players.

Both players were part of a Mullumbimby U18s premiership in 2007 and Chisholm was part of the premiership team again in 2008.

They went on different journeys to make their NRL debuts.

Chisholm signed in 2011 for the Melbourne Storm and Hitchcox for the West Tigers in 2014, before setting their sights on careers overseas.

They have played for several clubs in the Super League and Championship, including a season together with the Bradford Bulls in 2018.

Former Giants player and current NRL Regional Manager for Northern NSW, Wayde Kelly, said he looked up to the men when he was a Giants player.

“They are both really fast,” Mr Kelly said.

“Jy plays on the wing or in the centre and his best attributes are finishing off tries and scoring.

“He’s got some pretty acrobatic highlights.”

He said Chisolm was a creative playmaker in his fullback role.

“He’s got some kicks and a really good passing game,” he said.

Hitchcox and Chisholm are two of a number of former Mullumbimby players that have become professional athletes in Europe.

Hitchcox’s stepfather Shaun Macdonald said his family in Mullumbimby was looking forward to watching the game on Sunday.

He will be glued to the screen for the game, next to Jy’s mother Bronwyn Noonan and “nan” Rhonda Noonan.

“Jy started in rugby under 7s with the Byron Bay Red Devils after a year of soccer, because his pop was Billy Noonan who was chairman of the Red Devils,” he said.

“He moved to Mullumbimby when he was about 14, when he went to Mullumbimby High School, that’s when he met Dane and started to play together and became close friends.

“They have played against each other and side-by-side other overseas, but this game is special for them, this is what they all fight hard for.”

Toulouse Olympique's Jy Hitchcox and Featherstone Rovers' Dane Chisholm remain close friends while playing rugby in Europe.

Mullumbimby Giants club director Sam Plowman said he would also be watching the weekend match.

“I was a couple of years younger than them, I met them through school,” he said.

“I was playing as a junior and they were seniors, so watching them play they were the sort of guys that you would look up to in the local area.

“They were 17 and 18, they were quite young but they were awesome, playing well in high level competition.”

Mr Kelly said another former Giants player, fellow Byron Shire man Jacob Miller, was captain at Wakefield Trinity in the Super League.

“The area produces a lot of kids with great talent,” Mr Kelly said.

“There are many coming through at the moment, the Northern Rivers had three players make the Australian Schoolboys Rugby League team this year, probably a first for a country area.”

Hitting the pause button on 20 years of friendship. Kids got no godfather for the weekend. 😂

— Jy Hitchcox (@Jybees) October 2, 2021

The 2021 Million Pound Game:

• Toulouse Olympique v Featherstone Rovers
• Sunday, October 10, 6pm kick off (local time) from Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse, France
• Showing live via Kayo Sports in Australia on Monday, October 11, from 4am

Semaine historique pour le Rugby à XIII Français 🇫🇷

Les @DragonsOfficiel et le @TOXIII sont en finale 🎉

🏉 Super League : Dragons Catalans / St Helens
Sam. 9 octobre - 19h

🏉 Championship : Toulouse Olympique / Featherstone Rovers
Dim. 10 octobre - 19h pic.twitter.com/IT7qxqWYYL

— SO Avignon XIII (@SOAXIII) October 7, 2021