Harrison Hansen: Former Wigan Warriors man discusses how he has adapted to life in Toulouse ahead of his Super League return

The former Wigan Warriors man is preparing to make his Super League return this weekend, with his last appearance in the competition coming back in 2018.

Hansen has spent the last few years with Toulouse, and admits he’s not regretted the decision.

He said: “To come to the South of France with the culture and the weather was something hugely appealing, and when I found out Sylvain was interested, that pretty much made my decision.

“It’s the best decision I've made. I knew I was coming into a strong team because we made some good signings. It was really something special to be part of a team on the quest for Super League and to finally do it.

“I know enough French to get by and order food. I understand a lot more than I can speak. Lessons stopped because of Covid, so it’s been a long time and we’ve just been fending for ourselves. At the club we do a lot of things in French, so you pick things up that way.

“All three of my boys are in school and speak French, so when we need translators when we’re out I just tell them. Not many kids get to experience a new way of life and get to learn a new language, and it will open new doors for them in the future.”

Toulouse narrowly lost to Wigan Warriors in their last game, with a late Harry Smith drop goal giving the visitors a 29-28 victory at the Stade Ernest-Wallon, after they were behind for a large period of the game.

Hansen missed that match and the three fixtures before due to an injury he picked up in pre-season, but has been named in this week’s squad to face Wakefield.

Despite his absence on the field, he says he’s still been having an influence off it

“The coach was always asking my opinion and stuff, because I’m an experienced player,” he added.

“I’ve been a part of teams which have had strong winning cultures, so it made it easier to express my thoughts.

“We’ve got a lot of experienced players in our team. We’re itching for that first win, and we are steadily improving each week. We would’ve been kidding ourselves if we thought we could come into Super League and be perfect.

“It’s a long process this year. We know we are there and thereabouts, but at the moment we need to match it with an 80-minute performance, because at times we’re lacking in fitness and concentration.

“I want this club to be in a position where we are not wasting this opportunity. It would be such a shame for it to just fritter away. We want teams to know when they come over, they are in for a proper game of rugby, and it’ll be tough to win.

“When we start winning, we will get the belief and things will start clicking.”

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