Canadian representative, Marcus D’Acre, signs on Newcastle Knights

Canadian rugby union representative, Marcus D’Acre, has made history this week becoming the first male NRL Combine winner to secure a contract with an NRL club.

As reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, D’Acre, has signed a $1200-a-week train-and-trial contract with the Hunter based Newcastle Knights. The NRL is contributing to his salary, and the contract is exempt from the salary cap, allowing the Knights to invest in his development without impacting their roster.

Despite attracting interest from the North Queensland Cowboys, D’Acre chose the Knights, citing their commitment to his long-term growth.

“Time is on my side. Newcastle is a great team and I think they can help me transform into a great player one day.

“Speaking to my agent, he mentioned it’s a good club with a lot of rich history and the management sounded pretty adamant about my growth as an NRL player.

“It sounded like they were the most interested in developing me into what my full potential could be.

D’Acre acknowledges the challenge of transitioning from rugby union to league, emphasizing the need for patience and dedication.

While relatively new to professional rugby league, D’Acre is a lifelong fan of the sport. His family has a rich history in developing rugby league in North America. His godfather, Bob Balachandran, founded the New York Knights, a team his father, Nigel, also played for.

D’Acre will arrive in Newcastle in May to start with the club after completing an economics degree at Queen’s University in Canada.