Congratulations to Nick Champion de Crespigny who was put pen to paper to sign with French Top 14 side, Castres Olympique.
Nick has been with SUFC since 2015, having moved to Sydney from Canberra to study at USYD. Since 2018 he has been a regular addition to our 1st Grade side, winning back-to-back Shute Shield premierships in 2018 and 2019. His hard hitting tackles, aggressive carries and his committment to the Club will be sorely missed.
Castres Head Coach, Pierre-Henry Broncan commented on the signing “I’ve been following Nick’s course for several seasons, he is a player with a powerful and fighting profile who fits perfectly with northern hemisphere rugby. His arrival will be an asset this season, especially since we are playing in the Champions Cup and we will have to face the best European teams.”
With the current COVID restrictions putting a halt to the Shute Shield competition it is likely Nick will have played his last game for SUFC. We wish Nick all the best for his new chapter in France.
Au revoir et bonne chance!
Nick’s SUFC Record
Nick attended Canberra Grammar school where he played 1st XV for two seasons (2013-2014) and in 2014 he played for ACT rugby union schools.
In 2015, Nick joined SUFC and started in 3rd Colts in tradition with Bob Egerton, John Langford, Nick Phipps am Folau Fainga’a. He played in the 2nd Colts Grand Final side who won 30-24 vs Randwick, that same season.
In 2016, he played in the 1st Colts Grand Final, again against Randwick, winning 26-21. He also made his 1st Grade debut in 2016, against Easts at Woollahra Oval on 2.7.2016, an iconic comeback game, where the Students were down 0-34, ten minutes before half time but went on to win 43-41. The same season Nick represented NSW U20s.
2017, another season with the Students and another Grand Final for Nick, this time in 2nd Grade, who won with a record score of 51-14 over Eastwood. This was his third premiership in a row.
The following season, Nick picked up his fourth Grand Final win, this time in 1st Grade in yet again a record Grand Final score of 41-3 over Warringah at North Sydney Oval on 1.9.2018. Later in the year, Nick was awarded his Rugby Blue from the University of Sydney, he also represented the NSW Country Eagles in the National Rugby Championship, before spending the 2019 preseason with the Melbourne Rebels.
2019 saw a repeat 1st Grade victory over the ‘Rats’ 21-16 after Warringah led 16-0, 18 minutes into the 2nd half. Unfortunately, Nick missed out on playing in the final due to a thumb injury, but none the less he contributed to back-to-back Shute Shield titles and claimed his 5th Premiership in a row.
In his seven seasons at SUFC, Nick has played 85 Club games, 71 of them in 1st Grade. 2020 was the first year Nick has not won a Grand Final as 1st Grade were knocked out in the Preliminary Finals.
Nick has scored 10 tries in the Blue and Gold.