NRL player-turned-lumberjack Luke Bateman is trading his axe for a rose on The Bachelors Australia 2023 and we couldn’t be more thrilled!
Per his official Ten bio, Luke grew up in the country, and despite his ostensibly manly career paths, the 28-year-old has a BIG soft spot for romance.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m feeling all the first date nerves – dialled up to 11,” he said ahead of the series premiere.
So, what do we need to know about Luke as he embarks on his The Bachelors 2023 journey?
Behind the scenes of Luke Bateman’s NRL career
Hailing from Toowoomba, Queensland, Luke’s rugby career kicked off playing with the Miles Devils.
He later went on to represent Queensland in their under-20s team in 2014. However, he wasn’t always elbows deep in the NRL scene.
In an interview with Chinchilla News in 2016, he revealed he wasn’t permitted to play the sport as a young boy.
As such, he thinks it’s a blessing he’s been so successful in his field.
“Not many kids from out there make it to this level so I suppose in a way it’s pretty pleasing to make it where I have,” Luke confessed.
From 2013 to 2015, The Bachelors star played for the Canberra Raiders’ NYC team, whom he captained in 2014 and 2015.
He was selected for the Raiders Auckland Nines squad in 2015 ahead of making his debut for the Canberra Raiders locally, against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
His first try was scored in 2017 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He then extended his contract with Canberra in May 2018, taking him to the end of the 2019 season.
Sadly, a gnarly knee injury forced him to exit the league early, as one source told So Dramatic!.
“He had to medically retire pretty young,” they said.
“He’s a country boy too,” they added. “Very down to earth and humble.”
How did The Bachelors 2023‘s Luke Bateman earn his ‘Luke the Lumberjack’ title?
Following his injury and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Luke opted to travel back to his home state of Queensland to work with his stepdad as a forester.
“When the competition shut down my stepfather rang me and said ‘You have a job with me if you want it’,” he told About Regional at the time.
“So I got to Brisbane before the borders closed off and went to work with him.”
He added: “I had never done this sort of work before, especially seeing that it’s eight hours west of Brisbane, but it’s been a good learning curve and has made me appreciate footy even more.”
What else do you need to know about The Bachelors Australia 2023‘s Luke Bateman?
Per his Ten bio, Luke has a “deep bond with his family” — which includes a rugby-playing brother, John, and a sister, Sarah.
Ahead of his The Bachelors debut, fans also learned that he “definitely believe[s] in love at first sight” thanks to a swoony promo video.
In it, we also learn he isn’t afraid to steal a woman away from his fellow Bachies, either!
Here’s hoping Luke finds The One on The Bachelors Australia 2023.
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