QUEANBEYAN Whites pivot Sam Windsor’s dreams of cracking a professional contract have been rekindled after being invited to train with the ACT Brumbies during the club’s preseason campaign.
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Windsor was part of the Brumbies Academy program back in 2008 before heading to Sydney and then Europe to try his luck.
But since linking back up with Queanbeyan earlier this year, the 25-year-old has gradually worked his way back into the Brumbies fold.
Windsor is one of seven Canberra club players to have been included as part of the Brumbies wider preseason training group.
And it is understood the flyhalf would be strongly considered for promotion into the senior squad should a spot in the club’s midfield roster open up.
It’s something of an unexpected second chance for Windsor who signed with English club Blackheath in 2010 having all-but given up on pursuing his career any further in Australia.
“One reason why I went overseas [in 2010] was that I thought I’d exhausted my opportunities here,” Windsor said.
“Since then new coaches have come in and the way the Brumbies are run is a lot different so I thought it would be a good time…to have another crack at the professional side of things.
“[Turning professional] is something I’ve wanted to do since I left school and with the way the Brumbies have started moving, it’s given boys…on the fringe an opportunity to get a look at that next step.”
The opportunity has seen Windsor’s regular life put on hold as he trains full-time with the Brumbies squad.
“I weighed up options and you’ve got to have to take certain risks and sacrifice some things if you want to make it,” Windsor said. “I’m happy to put in the hard yards and take that hit for a while to get myself further along.”
Windsor joins fellow Queanbeyan Whites alumni Robbie Coleman and Nic White in the Brumbies squad and is merely the latest Super Rugby hopeful to roll off the club’s production line.