‘Never give up’: trio’s rise from day jobs and dejection to Wane’s England

E ver heard the one about the electrician, the lifeguard and the builder who went on to represent their country? There could be as many as 15 debutants when a new-look England side takes to the field against France in Warrington on Saturday afternoon, with Shaun Wane sticking to his promise of ripping up the squad that fell short in last year’s Rugby League World Cup and integrating a younger group of players in anticipation for the next tournament in France in 2025.

All of those players have their own unique stories to tell, but three in particular can scarcely believe they have reached this point. As recently as 18 months ago, Tyler Dupree and James Harrison were not even full-time Super League players, with Dupree involved in the Oldham side relegated to League 1, the sport’s lowest professional tier, and Harrison playing for Featherstone Rovers. They were released by Leeds and Bradford respectively as teenagers, told they were not good enough and, cast aside from the professional ranks, forced to go part-time.

However, on Saturday Dupree, who has excelled for Salford since signing last year and Harrison, who has done the same at Warrington, have not only proven those clubs wrong but are preparing to make their international bows as part of Wane’s new-look England. “It wasn’t just a low point in my career, it was one of the lowest points in my life,” Dupree says of rejection by the Rhinos. “The club I’d grown up supporting and gave everything to just let me go like I was nothing. It has fuelled the fire in me. They spurred me on to do better and prove them wrong. I’ve worked in children’s homes, on a building site … anything not to have to depend on my mum. But doing that made me realise life on a building site