FORMER York City Knights star Chris Langley has swapped codes and is set to make his debut for Harrogate RUFC tomorrow.
The rugby league centre, who scored a then record 21 tries in a season for the Knights in 2004, has been playing this year in LHF National League One for Doncaster Dragons. But he has endured an injury-hit campaign and, on his release from Belle Vue, is turning his hand to the 15-a-side code.
"They wanted me to go down and have a run and I said yes why not," said Langley, who turned 25 this week. "I missed quite a lot of this season so I feel fresh in that respect and I thought I would give it a go.
"It's something I've always wanted to try and test myself at a reasonably decent level. Harrogate came in and we will see how it goes.
"If it doesn't work out there's no big issue. We're taking it week by week."
Langley, who is doing a sports studies and PE degree at York St John College, alongside new Knights signing Craig Farrell, has been training at Claro Road for the last few weeks and has been blooded in the second team. He is to make his senior debut for the National Two side tomorrow away to Cleckheaton in the Powergen National Trophy fourth round.
"It will be a challenge and a steep learning curve to get to know the game," he said. "I played at schoolboy level but this is a massive step up from that."
Langley (pictured above while on duty with the Knights) has had interest from a few LHF National League clubs, mainly in NL1, about the 2006 season but he has put the 13-a-side game on the backburner and may stay in union.
He added: "If it's successful, if Harrogate are happy and I'm happy and we can come to some sort of agreement that works for both of us, I might pursue it. We'll just see how it goes."
Updated: 09:41 Friday, October 14, 2005
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