Wallace swears allegiance to Scotland

Penrith-bound half-back Peter Wallace says he wants to return to play for Scotland next year, and help them book a date against rugby league’s major nations.

Wallace, 28, starred alongside Super League Man of Steel Danny Brough in the Bravehearts tremendous run to the World Cup quarter-finals, where they bowed out at the hands of world champions New Zealand.

He now wants to help Scotland win next year’s planned European Cup, which is still yet to be confirmed, and earn a place in the 2016 Four Nations, against England, Australia and the Kiwis.

Wallace told ScotlandRL.com: “I want to come back next year. We’ve got the European Cup so if all goes well I hope to be back. We can definitely qualify for the Four Nations (in 2016). 

“I think the Europeans next year shouldn’t be a worry if we keep the squad together and get in a couple of blokes who were injured this time round. We can give a couple of teams in the Four Nations a shake-up, too.”

Scotland, who navigated through the group stages at the World Cup unbeaten, were missing five key players during the tournament, including the uncapped NRL duo of prop Keith Galloway and winger James McManus, and Super League trio Joe Wardle, Jonathan Walker and Alex Walmsley.

Melbourne-born Wallace, whose Scottish mother and grandmother travelled to watch him at every game of the tournament, would be eligible to play alongside Brough for Great Britain in 2015 despite spending little time in the country. Brough would be 32 by then while Wallace would turn 30 at the start of the tour.

He added: “I’d never been to Scotland before but I got the chance to go to Edinburgh, see the sights, visit the Wallace monument on the way.

“That was unreal, a great experience. It was good to see where my heritage comes from, be a part of the team, singing the anthem, wearing a kilt and all that – it’s been a great experience, something I will remember for the rest of my life.”