After starting out at a local club Pontarddulais, I moved to Bonymaen RFC, which had one of the best youth set-ups around. Some very good players came through there, not least the world's most-capped player, Alun Wyn Jones. It's where the rain comes down sideways and you can get four seasons in one afternoon. Opposition sides dreaded playing there but we loved it.
Once I went on to Liverpool John Moores University to study PE and Geography I only intended to play for the university. But we trained at Birkenhead Park, one of the oldest clubs around, and it wasn't long before I joined them. I loved the history of the place, and with them only being in North 1 at the time, the lack of long distance travel, and the beer money I received, meant it complemented my student lifestyle very well.
Once I finished Uni, I got a job as a development officer at New Brighton and played for them for a season in Division 3. A Kiwi fella called Mike Howe was the coach and also an agent so he arranged for me and Ketts (Adam Kettle) to go to North Otago when they were looking for young loose forwards. It was 2005 so it was great timing with the Lions out there on tour.
The club were sponsored by a local electrical company and they gave us a job. Basically, we would just pass tools to the electricians as that's all we were trusted to do.
I think they just liked the idea of having some North Otago players on the books, plus we were easy targets for piss-taking because we didn't have a clue what we were doing; Ketts couldn't even put a light bulb in without smashing it in his hand or on the floor. Thankfully, the Union got us a coaching job and we had a great time travelling up and down New Zealand, watching the Lions whenever we could, as the job came with a car.
This story is from the July 14, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 14, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hard to pin the blame on unions
AS IF things in the game aren’t bad enough, the BBC’s Rugby On Trial shown on Monday looks set to impact on the number of new and current players across the game.
I couldn't let my old club go to the wall
I’M Hartlepool born and bred and grew up on a council estate three-quarters of a mile from West’s old ground, Brierton Lane.
Barnes treble helps TJs to dominate Dorking
AN excellent opening-day performance from Tonbridge Juddians saw them dominate a Dorking side who had finished third for the previous two seasons.
Cozens can see selection headaches on Clifton horizon
PLAYER-COACH Luke Cozens has had to make way for Clifton’s new batch of fly-halves who aim to provide a fast, exciting brand of rugby at Station Road this season.
Anderson steps up to secure top draw
CLIFTON produced a brilliant second-half performance to stun Exeter University after they came from behind to earn a draw at the Topsham Sports Ground.
'Full circle' moment for Hayes with Chester gig
RHYS Hayes has hung up his boots and entered the coaching world aiming to take “sleeping giant” Chester back to National One.
Sheffield's Posa is left proud as punch
SHEFFIELD head coach Anthony Posa was a happy man as his side kicked off the campaign with a six-try bonus-point victory over Fylde yesterday afternoon.
Richmond's defensive efforts deny Club joy
A CONTROLLED and clinical performance from Richmond who, despite a couple of moments of excellence from Blackheath midway through each half, were able to stretch to a relatively comfortable victory in this latest installment of the oldest fixture in club rugby.
Nucifora shows the way forward
THE 1991 edition of the Rugby Annual for Wales has long been a collector’s item.
Time we stopped indulging the haka
THERE is so much disingenuous hypocritical twaddle surrounding the Hollywood production that has become the modern-day New Zealand haka that in some ways I am reluctant to raise the subject again.