Having begun his promising rugby league career at Betfred Super League outfit Warrington Wolves before establishing himself at Widnes Vikings in the Championship, North Wales Crusaders’ off-season recruitment of Sam Wilde was seen as a statement addition to Carl Forster’s side ahead of the 2025 season.
However, away from the rugby pitch Wilde is living out another boyhood dream, balancing his career as a firefighter alongside his impressive performances in a Crusaders shirt.
Having spent his junior career within the ranks of Shevington Sharks, Wilde was picked up by Warrington Wolves, making his top-flight debut in 2015 against Wigan Warriors.
He made an instant impression with the Wolves with whom he started the 2016 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.
Loan moves followed for Wilde who then found home at Widnes Vikings where he quickly became a fan favourite before arriving in North Wales for the 2025 season.
Now pushing at the top of League One with his new side, Wilde spoke about the challenges and enjoyment in balancing his rugby with an off-field career in the fire service.
“I think becoming a fire fighter was always a dream of mine alongside a career in rugby, he said.
“Obviously from a young age I was in full-time systems at Warrington and then Widnes, but when they made the move to go part-time, that was my moment to start thinking about life away from rugby too.
“When that time came, I just knew that joining the fire service was something which I wanted to do – I think that the role shares many of the same skills as rugby, be it in terms of fitness, teamwork, decision making and also your role to be a good member of the community and a role model.
“Having said that, it’s very hard to get into, and I do think that my rugby career has helped me in that sense.
“When Widnes made the move to part-time, I spent some time with the Police, but my overall aim was always to get into the fire service, and it’s something which I’m really proud to have achieved.”
With his performances shining on the field in 2025, Wilde credits his healthy work-life balance as playing a big part in his personal performances: “I do think initially that I was a bit worried about how I would be able to balance being in the fire service alongside rugby, but to be honest it’s probably been a lot more compatible than I thought.
“A large part of that is down to the club, Foz (Carl Forster) and work as they’ve all done their best to accommodate me however they can, and that’s playing a big part in my own performances so far this season.
“I’m really enjoying my rugby here, I probably feel in some of the best form of my career to date, and a lot of that comes from the environment we have and the coaching work of Foz and the staff.”
Sam is proudly sponsored by Welsh Mountain Zoo, to find out more about how you can support North Wales Crusaders, email commercial@nwcrusadersrl.com
Wilde was one of several off-season arrivals at Crusaders, however, he says that the bond within the team has far outweighed the number of new faces: “I was new into the team this year, and so were a lot of the boys, but to be honest it feels as if we’ve all been together for years.
“It was a very easy group to walk into, there’s no egos, everyone is behind you and all the lads get on really well.
“The pre-season was tough, but enjoyable and it really helped us in forming such a strong bond which I think shows out on the field.
“We’ve had a really strong start to the season too, and other than a hiccup last weekend against Swinton, I think we’ve put in some really impressive performances, many of which have been away from home.
“We’ve had a week off now to prepare for Newcastle at home this weekend and a really tough run of fixtures to come, but we’ve all spoken about our need to make our home ground a difficult place for teams to come this season, so that has to start this week.
“It’s a really strong league this year, and it’s tight at the top, but that has to be our aim, to keep winning games and aim for that top spot come the end of the season.
“We’ve got a strong group here who are capable of doing some fantastic things together this year, I think we’ve got much more to come as well.
“I feel like we’ve shown what we’re capable of in glimpses so far this season, but when we turn that into a full 80 minute performance, that’s what I’m excited to see.”
You can secure your tickets to see Sam and the boys in action at Stadiwm CSM this weekend by clicking HERE