Toulouse Olympique hooker Calum Gahan’s rugby league journey has taken him from the bush town of Humpty Doo to Super League – with a few unlikely stops along the way.

ONE OF the first rules of journalism is to always get the name of the dog. Or, in the case of Calum Gahan’s childhood neighbour, the name of the crocodile.

The Toulouse Olympique hooker has taken a road less travelled in his rugby league career, winding up in the south of France in 2023 via Darwin, Townsville and London – along with representing Scotland on the international stage.

But Gahan’s journey began in the Northern Territory bush town of Humpty Doo, where his formative years included that neighbour with the unusual reptilian pet.

So, what was the name of the crocodile?

“I can’t remember – probably Brutus or something like that,” Gahan said with a laugh.

What the 28-year-old does recall, though, is spending lots of time outside, whether that was playing some sort of sport or other rural pursuits.

Cricket was Gahan’s first sporting love. The dominance of Australian Rules football in the Northern Territory and the number of his friends who played it meant he gave that a go too, along with that other 15-a-side version of rugby.

But it was the influence of his father which led him down the rugby league road with Lichfield Bears from the age of 11.

That, in turn, led to him earning a scholarship with North Queensland Cowboys and moving to Townsville, where he starred for Kirwan High School and went on to become part of the NRL outfit’s under-20s set-up.

“It was fishing and camping every weekend – a lot of stuff like that, which was fun,” Gahan told Rugby League World.

“I loved my childhood.

“I played cricket originally when I was younger, but I got to the age of 11 or 12 when you had to stand out in the sun all day, and being in Darwin it’s not fun doing that – it’s too hot.

“My dad played rugby league and he influenced me to get into that.

“A lot of my mates played AFL, which is big in Darwin, so I played that for a year and I played a year of rugby union.

“But rugby league stuck and I’ve never stopped.”

Also influencing Gahan’s decision to pick rugby league over other sports was Duncan MacGillivary, another Darwin native who eventually wound up in Super League with Wakefield Trinity (2004-08) after spells with Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs, and is now pathways co-ordinator for NRL Northern Territory.

The forward pulled on the Scotland shirt during his playing days too, including representing the Bravehearts at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, while his protégé did likewise when the sport’s global gathering was on these shores four years ago.

Gahan’s Scottish roots come from his mother, who was born in Edinburgh and raised in Inverness, and although Scotland have not qualified for this year’s World Cup, there is little doubt how much being able to represent his ancestral homeland means to both him and his family.

“[Mum is] proud Scottish and I’ve been back a few times because my auntie still lives there,” Gahan said.

“I went back there with my whole family to visit last year, so that was good. It’s pretty strong – half of me is Scottish, it’s not just a little bit.

“I’m very happy representing my mum and representing her side made her very happy.”

Gahan is one of a growing number of players from the Southern Hemisphere plying their trade in the south of France in both the men’s and women’s games, with the domestic competition providing opportunities alongside Super League sides Toulouse Olympique and Catalans Dragons.

The No 9, who also spent the 2022 season playing for London Broncos in the Championship, might have made the move across the world earlier than some but knows first-hand the increasing lure of the region both on and off the field.

“A lot of boys towards the end of their career want the chance to travel,” Gahan said.

“Rugby league isn’t a big thing all over the world – it’s only really the north of England and that small area in the south of France outside the Southern Hemisphere.

“I think that is a big thing for people, to travel a bit more and get over this side of the world and experience a different culture.

“You learn a lot about yourself and a lot about other people as well, and for a lot of guys I think that’s a big thing too.”

Gahan remains a spectator of Toulouse’s return to Super League this year while recovering from foot surgery, having been restricted to just four appearances in 2025 by an Achilles injury as Sylvain Houles’ side claimed Championship glory as well.

The late nature of the confirmation they would be back in the top flight for 2026 did not stop them making a solid start to the campaign with two wins in their opening four matches, and Gahan cannot wait to get back on the field to fulfil his long-held ambition of playing in Super League.

Most of all, though, it will be a chance for him to help the place he now calls home prove it belongs among the sport’s elite.

“We want to prove we belong and a few of the English boys who’ve come over to play for us, Toulouse is our home now and we want to do our best for the team and the city and the club because they’ve given us so much,” Gahan said.

“It’s an opportunity to give back to them for what they’ve given to us.

“It’s been good. It’s crazy how fast these last few years have gone.

“It’s been a journey, but I’ve enjoyed it.”

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 519 (April 2026)