Brown:Representing family heritage will mean more

By James Toney Italian skipper Nathan Brown claims this Rugby League World Cup will mean more for players now representing their family heritage. Ad There's a long list of high-profile players who have made a difficult choice in who to represent in the coming weeks, including Samoa's Brian To'o and Josh Papali'i, England's Aussie-based Victor Radley, Tonga's Felise Kaufusi and Ireland's Luke Keary. Rugby LeagueKiwi coach Maguire right at home back in EnglandAN HOUR AGO «Some Samoan and Tongan players have said no to Australia and New Zealand and chosen to represent their backgrounds, which mean a lot to them,» said Brown, who played 26 minutes of Parramatta's NRL Grand Final loss to Penrith earlier this month.

«I can't wait to see them go out there and show how much passion and pride they have for their jersey. »For me it's an honour and a privilege to be on this Italian team. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to represent my family and my heritage.

Family is a big part of my life and the Italian heritage on my mum's side really means a lot to me." Australia's James Tedesco shared a joke with Brown as the captains gathered for the tournament launch in Manchester, having played together for Italy at the World Cup five years ago. «I'm close mates with Browny, so I've spoken to him a fair bit,» said the new Kangaroos skipper. «He has a pretty inexperienced squad here but I played with him at the 2017 World Cup so I know how much passion he is bringing to that team.