The former England international started on the left wing for Oxford Harlequins in their 33-15 Oxfordshire County Cup win against Witney.
Varndell is a player-coach at the Regional 1 South Central club and they have a close alliance with Oxford Brookes University, where he is head of rugby alongside his other role as a rugby agent.
“If you’d have asked me two years ago would I go into coaching, I’d have said, ‘not a chance’. But I have really, really enjoyed it,” the two-time Premiership champion with Leicester said.
“I’ve worked for a sports agency since just before Covid, and that’s great, I enjoy that, the mentoring aspect of it and everything else. But I was missing being on the pitch and the interaction with players because I’d done it for so long, and this opportunity came up to work with Oxford Harlequins at National 3 level but also head up the rugby at Oxford Brookes, and we’ve had quite a successful season.
“I have been given a new lease of life; there’s not the pressure of the performance every single week or being ripped to shreds in analysis on a Monday. I am back on the pitch for the reasons I started playing it when I was nine years old – because I want to, because it’s not a job and all about collecting a pay cheque. It’s fun.
“I’ve pulled the boots on a couple of times this season, which I wasn’t going to but you get that hunger back and you think, ‘you know what, I’ll have a run out’,” he added.
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin April 16, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin April 16, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
England can find a little bit of cheer
SO HERE we are on the final day of England’s autumn international series with all of us hoping and expecting Steve Borthwick’s team to win today after three weeks of bitter disappointment.
Stop messing with Marcus - Campese
DAVID Campese believes England are going backwards under Steve Borthwick, who is ‘messing around’ with talisman Marcus Smith.
Being a Lion was the highlight of my career
I PLAYED 19 games and scored 219 points for the Lions, on the tours to South Africa in 1968 and New Zealand in 1971, but I never played in a Test and that was fair enough.
Cook's crew not fazed as they eye tilt at top half
THERE appear to be few signs of second season syndrome at Westcombe Park as captain Nick Cook reveals the group aren’t even contemplating the threat of relegation and are instead targeting a top-half finish.
Forwards pack a punch for the Reds
OLD Redcliffians produced a proud defensive effort to take a bonus-point win.
Tom 'Ailes' the achievements of inspirational skipper Riley
SEDGLEY Park No. 8 Tom Ailes says his team relish the competitive nature of National One and is confident the Tigers can rectify their rocky start to the season in weeks to come.
Strachan confident Ampthill will be firing again soon
FRASER Strachan is determined to put Ampthill’s leaky defensive showings behind them and gain some much needed confidence in the run up to Christmas.
It's a whole new ball game for Rigg
WILL Rigg’s ambition was to become a professional cricketer but it is the oval ball rather than The Oval that is his driver now.
Scarratt leads the way for Lightning
LOUGHBOROUGH won a wet and windy East Midlands Derby after having the bonus point in the bag by half-time.
Becconsall: We need to release pressure
WILL Becconsall says Exeter are not spooked by the threat of relegation as they look to turn around their Premiership campaign after starting with six straight defeats.
