FOR Toby Freeman, signing for the Cornish Pirates might feel like being reunited with some familiar slippers.

The 29 year-old lock grew up in Penryn, before leaving the county for university and a varied rugby career which has seen him come back to Cornwall more than ten years later.

"I love Cornwall and it's laid-back lifestyle. It's an easy way of life in which everyone has time to say hello and it's an absolute privilege to be doing something I love, in a place I love," said the 6ft 5ins forward.

His family moved to Penryn when he was three and after playing for Penryn School, he was persuaded by some friends to join the town's rugby club.

He played through the age groups and a handful of games for the senior side, before heading off to university in Exeter.

He remains good friends with Penryn players Ross Hancock and Gareth Tedstone.

While at university, he joined Exeter Chiefs for three years, but when they ended his contract his future hung in the balance.

"I thought, well, I've had a crack at it and now I need to decide what career to choose. Then he received a call from an unlikely source.

A friend of his was playing for Spanish rugby club Ampo Ordizia and he invited him to go out and play for the Basque country team, in the north of the country.

"It was amazing, we were adored out there. We'd have crowds of 3,000 turning up to watch and the town only had 9,000 people - it was like playing in front of a huge family - they were so supportive.

"I am so grateful to them for giving me the chance, because it rebooted my career and I had two fantastic years there."

The team had eight or nine professionals in their line-up, with the remainder being made up of players from the town.

"I had a call one day from the coach of Rotherham Titans, who is a very blunt man. He asked me why on earth I was playing rugby in Spain and brought me back to England."

In 2014 he was signed by Nottingham coach Martin Haag, once of Penzance-Newlyn and will complete three and half seasons there in a couple of weeks' time.

"Hopefully my mum (Ulrike) and sister (Henrieke) can come and watch me play now. My sister talks a good game but she doesn't really know what she's on about, so she might learn a few more things when I'm back!"

Toby will begin pre-season training with the Pirates, but he is yet unsure of the starting date, which will depend on whether they qualify for the end-of-season play-offs.