French Backpacker Has No Idea How He Ended Up At This Kick-On

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

A mild-mannered European food delivery cyclist has undergone what could only be described as a cultural enlightenment in Western Sydney overnight.

After making the trip from his Kings Cross backpacker hostel to cheer on his countrymen at CommBank stadium, the 417 working holiday visa-holder could never have imagined the turn of events that would follow.

Claude Legrand du Saulle (26) had initially assumed that he had bought tickets to a rugby union match.

He soon learnt that this was not at all the same game as he grew up watching Sebastian Chabal playing for the tri-colour.

This was some sort of mutant hybrid game that seems to be very popular with the Lebanese and Polynesians.

Originally hailing from from Dijon in the Burgundy region of rural Eastern France, Claude was very unfamiliar with the game of rugby league, which is most popular in the working class communities of his home country's south-west Catalan region.

By the time he had figured out the rules of this unfamiliar game, which took roughly 8 minutes, Claude became accutely aware that his country might not be a tier 1 rugby league nation.

A thrilling golden point victory from Lebanon had him wondering what parallel universe he had stumbled into.

However, Claude also could not get enough of this eccentric and extremely aggressive brand of football. With his fellow countrymen departing of the next train East, the young decided to stay on to watch the next match.

It was here that he witnessed the greatest sporting rivalry in the Southern Hemisphere. Tonga vs Samoa.

Yet another nail-biting sudden death match followed, with Claude somehow finding himself swept up in the sea of red.

12 hours late, he finds himself in a Dee Why carport, singing along to the dulcet vocals featured on the iconic Tongan rnb ballad "Si’oto Loto" by Fejoint.

With crushed cans of Somersby Apple and Pear Cider sprawled across the floor and a jug of Jim Beam Devil's Cut being passed around, Claude cannot quite pinpoint the moment he decided to leave behind the life he knew and instead choose to swear an undying loyalty to team MMT.

But with his new friends, Sione, Tevita, Viliami and Peni by his side - he doesn't care.

"Ko fē ʻa e falemālōlō?" says Claude.