Guest Articles
31/10/09 30 Years of Rugby Festival (Courtesy
JEP
)
FIVE charities will benefit from the 30 Years of Rugby Festival at Jersey Rugby Club over the weekend.
With a good-sized crowd gathered to play, cheer on or, simply drink the health of old friends, St Peter was a friendly place to be on Saturday afternoon.
With no competitive matches taking place in the Island the four matches organised by Youth team coach Mick Mayo were hailed a great success, if not exactly being try-fests, as was the after-match celebrations which went on long into the night.
Each of the games supported a different charity, with coach Mayo’s three decades in the game being the theme for the teams, with Headway, Channel Islands Air Search, the RNLI and Centrepoint each set to receive a cheque for £350, while Cancer Research will be the beneficiaries of a raffle which raised £550.
’Feel the Pain’ ; a photo from last weekend’s Mick Mayo Celebration (Thanks to Mark Allen)
31/10/09 Matt Banaghan Interview (Courtesy
JEP
)
JERSEY
rugby star Matt Banahan has been in the spotlight in more ways than one this month.
Not only was Bath Rugby’s towering winger named in the England side for this Saturday’s clash with Australia at Twickenham but he has also been the focus of this month’s ’You Want to Know’ feature in the Rugby Football Union’s official magazine ’England Rugby’.
Questions came in from readers around the UK and further afield, on topics from everything such as his tattoos to the ironic naming of his Great Dane dog ’Tinkerbell’.
Responding to a question on how the summer of upheaval at Bath has affected him personally Banahan said: ’It hasn’t really. I spoke to my friends about it and they said I should treat it as if the players who left the club had been transferred.
’That happens in rugby; players come and players go all the time. So that’s how I dealt with it and as I said, it hasn’t got to me.’
Citing Danny Grewcock and Steve Borthwick as the biggest influences on his career he also responded to a question asking if rugby was ’big’ in Jersey
’Rugby has always thrived on the Island from long before I started playing but it’s getting a lot bigger still, though that’s absolutely not because of me.
’It’s through improved sponsorship and through the hard work of everyone at the Jersey Rugby Club. It’s a thriving community, there are one or two really good players coming through and for a small Island there is a great youth set-up. I hope they go from strength to strength.’
The 22-year-old also touched on what he may turn to when his rugby career comes to an end.
’Maybe coaching disabled kids, but not just in rugby, in every sport I’d love to coach athletes in the Paralympics actually. My dad has done some coaching with disabled athletes and he says they have far more drive than able-bodied athletes. I think the level of achievement when they have success is far greater than for able-bodied athletes.’
The questions weren’t all so serious however, and revealing his induction song on the Bath team bus was a Green Day number he also explained the meaning behind his tattoos.
’My right forearm, that’s all the lucky stuff. Then I have my surname down my ribs because that will never change.
’My left chest and left sleeve is all World War II stuff. It’s a real part of Jersey heritage and my family’s too. I’ve got an upper body piece planned for my back that will take years to do, based on a Lancaster bomber.
’On my neck I’ve got a view of a place I played when I was a kid, La Rocco Tower, then on the other side of my neck are my parents’ initials.’
Banahan also disclosed just how it felt to be made Man of the Match on his England debut in June against Argentina.
’It was amazing. There were a lot of things going on all at once that day. My parents had flown over to see me make my debut and that was a big thing for me. To get selected to start was massive and then to score was absolutely fantastic.
’So then to be named Man of the Match...to be honest I haven’t got a clue if I deserved it I was just concentrating on my job and trying to do the best I could.
’My first thought after the game, though, was that it was good to get a first cap but that I wanted to get lots more opportunities to represent my country.’
10th Dec 2008
I’m a Celebrity,get him away from me
(from our special correspondent)
Mr Curzons and Mr Hurford went to Cardiff the other week in search of adventure and to see if Wales could beat the All Blacks; during the course of the socialising, our dynamic duo managed to get in the company of some ex British Lions and Wales players. Mr Curzons, never short of advice to others, found himself in conversation with a small slight chap whilst walking to the next drinks stop, they started discussing how to drop goals and sidestep; Mike putting this chap on the straight and narrow with his technique. The company arrived, sat down and Mick’s new best friend pointed to a painting on the wall and said ’thats me’- It was only Barry John! Mr Curzons, always courteous to the last, said ’You’ve aged a bit’. Diplomatic relations between Wales and Jersey have been terminated; Barry John is receiving counselling as we write.
Sir Clive Woodward’s visit to JRFC.
Sir Clive Woodward gave a talk on thursday 19th March 2009 at the Club, the theme of his discussion was turning the talented into champions. He described his idea as being based on a triangular diagram, the baseline of which represented talent; in order to progress the sportsman had to possess ’teachability’, the ability to take in knowledge from his coach and other sources. The next stage was the ability to think under pressure - with the World Cup winning England rugby squad he would set, in the classroom, match situations at a particular time in the game and ask individuals ’What would you do next?’. I think this aspect is often ignored by some lesser rugby coaches, what appears obvious from the stand is not carried out on the pitch because of pressure, both physical and mental. At the apex of Sir Clive’s triangle is the inner strength, the desire to win - in a rugby situation he describes players that reach this level as warriors and, at the extreme pinnacle, are the champions ie Martin Johnson. After this he gave a Q and A session which revealed his thinking behind some of the decisions during the World Cup games. His speech was preceded by a wonderful meal, the whole occasion being sponsored by Lord Jersey, our thanks again to him; the proceeds going towards rugby development in Jersey.
I was privileged some years ago to be in the company of Paul Turner, one of the most innovative coaches in Wales- currently coaching Newport/Gwent Dragons; I was struck by the similarities in the way of thinking by Paul and Sir Clive, the way they look outside the box and consider different styles of playing the game.
The hundred strong audience at this function were spellbound, Sir Clive sparkled with intelligence and passion and fielded all our questions easily; his latest involvement is with the forthcoming Olympics in London!
Our outgoing Rugby Development Officer, ’Chalky’ White, received a gift at this function - we wish him all the very best in his new career. rn