WANDERERS breakaway Liam Brice will fire up his laptop in the early hours of Sunday morning and watch a livestream of the final play-off round in the Ereklasse in the Netherlands.
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His club Haarlem tackle Castricumse. A win will secure Haarlem a place in the national final.
Brice has spent the past three seasons at Haarlem, helping them progress from the second division to the cusp of a national title.
"I had to leave mid-season," Brice said. "Now the boys are one game away from a championship. I have had a few late nights watching livestreams of the games. I will definitely be on the laptop Saturday night.
"I had to leave as soon as the borders opened up. I overstayed my visa by about five months because I couldn't get home due to COVID."
Brice has signed a two-year contract with Haarlem, which is located 20 minutes outside of Amsterdam, and will return to the Netherlands at the end of the Hunter Rugby season.
"My new visa is a sport visa. To not jeopardise that, I couldn't stay any longer." he said. "There is a little bit of money in the national comp over there now. It has been awesome. Haarlem is my second home.
"In saying that, I'm enjoying being back at Wanderers. I'm gunning for a premiership here. If I miss out on a national championships, a premiership with Wanderers would make up for it."
Brice played first grade with Wanderers in 2017 before heading overseas, initially to Spain.
Now 26, he has added a hard edge to a Two Blues' back-row, that boasts the work ethic of Ben Ham and the running game of Piers Morrell.
"He left us as a really talented colt and he has come back a man," Wanderers coach Dan Beckett said. "Without Ben Ham last weekend, he said: 'OK, someone needs to lead'. I think that is where his maturity came in. Being overseas and playing in some quality teams, he has come back and is a real leader."
The Ereklasse is comprised of 16 teams.
"The top teams are made up mainly of Kiwis and Aussies and would give Wanderers, Merewether, and Hamilton a a run for their money," Brice said. "It is just the depth. It drops away pretty quickly.
Brice will be eligible to represent The Netherlands when he returns to Haarlem.
"I got there just before they changed the residency rule. Now I will be Dutch qualified," he said. "There has been a bit of talk about it. Our coach is involved with the Dutch set up. You never say never. The Netherlands play in division below the six nations. You compete against the likes of Georgia, Spain and Romania. That is why I am keen to get back."
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