Omari Caro grew up dreaming of playing on football stages like the Emirates - this autumn the Rugby League World Cup will offer him that opportunity.
Hammersmith-born Caro was on the books at QPR as a youngster, playing up front alongside Dean Parrett, who later joined Spurs and a host of football league clubs.
Caro switched to rugby league in his late teens and after playing Super League for London Broncos and Hull KR, was a member of the Jamaican team that qualified for its maiden World Cup in 2018.
As the rugby posts went up for the first time ever at semi-final venue the Emirates yesterday, Caro - now 30 - allowed himself a moment to look back on his childhood goals.
“Playing in stadiums like this is what a lot of kids dream about and it’s what players want to remember,” Caro said.
“I was lucky enough to play at the Etihad with the Broncos at Magic Weekend, and what will always stick with me is the sheer size of it compared to the grounds we were used to.
“It’s massive for rugby league to take games to grounds like the Emirates - hopefully we can get some new eyes on the game and potentially tap into the football market.”
Caro played a key role for the Reggae Warriors side that booked their World Cup spot with a memorable 16-10 win in America back in 2018.
“That seems like a million years ago now - it was very tense and was my third attempt trying to qualify,” he recalled. “The Americans were talking themselves up and were very vocal, questioning why we were there, so to beat them on their own patch was unreal.
“Some of those boys have had tough times before and played in some horrific places to try and get to a World Cup, so to finally make it was an incredible feeling.
“Now we want to be competitive in every single game and show people that rugby league is a growing sport that can be played by everyone - you don’t have to be from a small town in Yorkshire or Lancashire.”
Caro - who combines working in schools with playing for League 1 London Skolars - has a huge personal year ahead. He is also a member of Jamaica’s 7s rugby union team that is hoping to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in June.
He added: “At the World Cup we’re in a group against New Zealand who are arguably the biggest name in both rugby codes - it shows how far Jamaican rugby league has come.”
