A BROKEN hand robbed Harry Chapman of a NSW Country jumper in 2019.
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Now the Maitland prop has his fingers crossed that COVID-19 doesn't crush his dreams of donning the famous gold and black jumper a second time.
Chapman and Merewether-Carlton duo Dave Puchert and Kye Marshall are part of a 27-man NSW Country Cockatoos squad to play at the division two National Rugby Championship being held in Adelaide from September 30 to October 4.
The championships, last played in 2019, involves teams from Perth, ACT, Victoria, Queensland Country and South Australia.
"The tournament is in South Australia and our boys are coming from all over the place... it is a bit of a predicament," Chapman said. "We have been told by NSW Country to plan as though it is going ahead.
"We were supposed to have a training camp in Sydney on September 19. That is unlikely to go ahead but we have a zoom meeting with the coaches and have been instructed to train for the tournament as if it is all guns blazing."
The NSW Corellas are playing in the women's national championships, which is being run in conjunction.
Chapman, as he did in 2019 when Hunter did not compete in the NSW Country Championships, was drafted into the Far North Coast side which went down 24-19 to Central West in the final of the Caldwell Cup in June.
The 23-year-old, who went to boarding school in Sydney, has represented NSW All Schools, was a part of the NSW Waratahs Gen Blue program, went to an under-20 World Cup and got a taste of Sydney first-grade at Randwick and Eastwood.
But he is yet to represent NSW Country, which was part of the attraction to moving home in 2019.
"It is a big ticket I have wanted to get for a while," the tighthead said. "Unfortunately, the first year I was picked to go to South Australia, I broke my hand. I went to Country Championships with Far North Coast again and was fortunate enough to get selected again."
Puchert and Marshall had been playing with the Wildfires seconds in the Sydney competition and were brought into the Hunter side to alleviate a shortage of front-rowers.
Chapman's chances of representing NSW Country are not the only thing under threat due to COVID.
Maitland are well placed to finish fourth in the Hunter Rugby Union competition which is suspended due to COVID lockdown.
"Absolutely we can challenge the top three teams," Chapman said. [Coaches] Luke Cunningham and Mick Howell have sent out training programs, fitness top ups, for the boys to do while there is a bit of uncertainty."