Gills keeper Stuart Nelson faces a London Broncos penalty Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Goalkeeper Stuart Nelson was more at home than most when Super League side London Broncos joined the Gills for training this week.

Nelson once considered playing rugby union full-time and it was only after he left school that he switched sports and concentrated on playing football.

The Broncos may play a different code, in rugby league, but Nelson was thrilled to be getting the chance to mess around with the oval shaped ball once again.

The Gills No.1 said: "I still love rugby and wish I could do both. I am nowhere near as good as the Broncos guys but know how to play the game. It was good to get out there for a short blast and do something different."

Nelson grew up in Stroud, with rugby union teams Gloucester, Bristol and Bath all within striking distance and it was the main sport for him as a child.

He represented Gloucestershire in schools’ rugby, playing fly-half, while football took a back-seat. And when he did play football, he was more often playing as a forward than in goal.

He said: "I felt I did better at rugby. Where I am from is more rugby-orientated, albeit rugby union. I live right near Gloucester, who a lot of my friends used to go and watch. Cheltenham weren’t a Football League team when I was growing up, so the pull was rugby."