New best mullet in Australia contender eyeing Wallabies gold

He’s a one-cap England international whose glorious mullet is already causing problems at schools, and now Nic Dolly has his eyes firmly set on donning Wallabies gold.

Dolly was among the Western Force’s big off-season signings, and he has high hopes of helping the Super Rugby Pacific franchise snare a finals berth this year.

His journey to Perth has been a unique one.

Sydney-born Dolly had just completed high school when he set off to England at the end of 2016 for what was meant to be an eight-week holiday to visit family.

That eight-week plan turned into an eight-year English adventure, which included a shock Test debut for England against South Africa in 2021 under Eddie Jones.

Dolly, whose mother was born in England, also played for the Sale Sharks, Rotherham Titans, Jersey Reds, Coventry and Leicester Tigers during his stint there.

“Going to England, because I’ve got grandparents there, it was more just for the New Year’s and Christmas holidays,” Dolly said.

“Then I just asked my grandad if there was a chance to get a bit of rugby done over there, just to be fit for pre-season in Australia.

“It just snowballed from there.

“My return ticket (to Australia) was booked for somewhere mid-January, then I pushed it back to mid-May, then I had to push it back even further.

“I don’t actually know if I ended up using it. Eight weeks turned into eight years.”

The 25-year-old’s shock appearance for England ended up being in a brave win over South Africa, and Dolly sung ‘Back for Good’ by Take That to his teammates after the match as part of the team’s debutant tradition.

It would prove to be Dolly’s only appearance for England, and he is now eligible to represent Australia given more than three years have passed.

“I’d be very proud representing Australia, because it’s my home where I was born,” Dolly said.

“But I am very aware that there’s so much work to do between now and then.

“I just want to play well for the Force and give this club my all.”

Dolly’s mullet has already had a big impact on kids across England, and the theme is set to continue in Australia.

“It’s quite funny when parents come up to you and say, ‘My kid’s got a mullet because of you’, or ‘The school made him chop it off and he’s devastated’,” Dolly said with a laugh.

“It’s pretty cool you can have that influence on kids.

“If it breaks the ice with people and stuff like that, so be it.

“I see my old man. I see my future. I thought, ‘OK, whilst I’ve got a bit of hair, I may as well try and do something with it’.

“Maybe down the line if I do feel the need to shave it off, it won’t just be a sporadic thing.

“I’d like to try and raise some awareness and raise some funds for charity.

“I’ve had parents that have gone through cancers, and grandparents and whatnot.”

Dolly, who will compete with Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Tom Horton for the hooker role at the Force, declared he is keen to stick around and help the club achieve long-term success.