My Life in Rugby

My Life in Rugby with Andy Booth: ‘I’ve got every cap bar the senior one’

19 March 2023 1 comment

The former Neath, Swansea, Cardiff, Cambridge University and Wales B scrum-half talks about his life in the game I played back in the days when […]

My Life in Rugby with Dave Tiueti: ‘I loved the Mem – it got me a Tonga recall’

12 March 2023 1 comment

The former Tonga, Bristol, Neath & Ospreys centre talks about his life in the game Fond memories: Dave Tiueti in action for Bristol PICTURE: Getty […]

My Life in Rugby with Stu Turner: ‘I thought England call was a wind-up’

5 March 2023 0 comments

The former England, Waterloo, Orrell, Worcester, Rotherham and Sale Sharks prop Stu Turner Triple top: Stu Turner won three caps for England PICTURE: Getty Images […]

My Life in Rugby with Andy Long: ‘Bitter-sweet Test career taught me a hell of a lot’

26 February 2023 0 comments

The former England, Bath, Munster, Rotherham, Newcastle and Northampton hooker talks about his life in the game When I was with Matt Perry the other […]

My Life in Rugby with Derek White: ‘I got up at 4am on the morning of my first cap’

19 February 2023 0 comments

I grew up in Dunbar, on the coast, which isn’t exactly steeped in rugby history but both my brother Alaister and I played at school. […]

My Life in Rugby with Charlie Walker: ‘Abrupt end to a great nine-year stay at Quins’

12 February 2023 0 comments

The former England 7s & U20s, Harlequins, Zebre and Ealing winger, now at Rosslyn Park, talks about his life in the game Having joined Leicester […]

My Life in Rugby with Steve Lander: ‘Controversy inevitable when you’re a referee’

5 February 2023 0 comments

The former international referee, who took charge of 18 tests from 1995 to 2003, talks about his life in the game Centre stage: Steve Lander […]

My Life in Rugby with Ryan de la Harpe: ‘Playing at Twickenham was my lifelong dream’

29 January 2023 1 comment

The former Namibia, Lancashire, Moseley & Fylde scrum-half Ever since I was a kid growing up in Namibia, my biggest dream wasn’t to play for […]

My Life in Rugby with Matt Symons: ‘From Voldemort to NZ, it’s been a blast’

22 January 2023 0 comments

The former Harlequins, London Irish, Wasps, Canterbury & Waikato Chiefs second row talks about his journey in the game, that took him to the other […]

My Life in Rugby with Keni Fisilau: ‘Gregory’s got me cheering on rivals’

15 January 2023 1 comment

The former Plymouth Albion & Tonga centre, and father of wonderkid Greg Fisilau, talks about his life in the game On the ball: Keni Fisilau, […]

My Life in Rugby with Will Hooley: Rollercoaster ride full of cool stuff along the way

8 January 2023 0 comments

The US Eagles, San Diego Legion and former Exeter, Northampton, Saracens & Bedford fly-half talks about his career in the game Making headway: Will Hooley […]

My Life in Rugby with Joe Simpson: I loved Adams Park when it was rocking

31 December 2022 1 comment

The former England, Wasps, Gloucester, Saracens, Bath & Sale Sharks scrum-half My professional career has now come to an end and I look back with […]

My Life in Rugby with Kevin Yates: ‘I waited ten years for my next England cap!’

23 December 2022 0 comments

The former England, Bath, Sale and Saracens prop Man in black: Kevin Yates playing for Saracens PICTURE: Getty Images When my dad retired from the […]

My Life in Rugby with Edd Thrower ‘Going to Italy was the best move I ever made’

18 December 2022 0 comments

The former London Irish, Wasps, Saracens, Crociati, Bedford, London Welsh, Massy & Piacenza full-back on his life in the game Loving life: Edd Thrower flying […]

My Life in Rugby with Nic Groom: ‘It was my warrior spirit that paid off with Rassie’

4 December 2022 0 comments

The former Western Province, Stormers, Northampton, Lions, Edinburgh and London Irish scrum-half talks Jon Newcombe through his journey in the game My last game was for […]

My Life in Rugby with Nick Fenton Wells: ‘Uncle Nick gave me the perfect grounding’

6 November 2022 0 comments

The former Western Province, Stormers, Saracens, Bedford & Bristol back row People might not be aware but former Springbok player and coach Nick Mallett is […]

My Life in Rugby with Joe Maddock

30 October 2022 0 comments

The former Crusaders, Bath, Treviso and Saracens winger, now attack coach at Bath They say one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity and that was […]

My Life in Rugby with James Bailey: ‘1995 World Cup left a big impression on me’

16 October 2022 0 comments

Inspired: James Bailey became a real fan of players like Serge Blanco David Campese I come from a very sporting family – my dad boxed […]

My Life in Rugby with Johnny Leota: ‘Playing for Samoa gave me my identity’

9 October 2022 0 comments

Wow, the last decade has flown by so quickly. It doesn’t seem that long since I left New Zealand for Manchester to start my first […]

My Life in Rugby with Dan Norton

2 October 2022 0 comments

The former Great Britain and England Sevens star and Gloucester, Bristol, Moseley and London Irish 15s winger talks about his career Even at the age […]

My Life in Rugby with Richard Barrington

25 September 2022 0 comments

I had two years still on my contract at Jersey but when Saracens came in for me after my first year there it was an […]

‘False start at Gloucester took me on scenic route’ – My Life in Rugby with Guy Thompson

11 September 2022 0 comments

The former Wasps, Leicester, Jersey and Ealing back rower talks about his life in the game I think I am right in saying that I’m […]

My Life in Rugby with Simon Hammersley

4 September 2022 0 comments

The former Newcastle and Sale full-back Seeing as I’m starting my first job in ‘the real world’ as an investment banker tomorrow, it was good […]

My Life in Rugby with Jonny Hylton

28 August 2022 0 comments

The former Wasps, Worcester, Cornish Pirates and Esher winger One of the things you can’t coach is pace and I was very fortunate to have […]

“I just ran around and smashed everything” – My Life in Rugby with Martin Purdy

14 August 2022 0 comments

The former Wasps, Bath, Gran Parma, L’Aquila, London Welsh, Massy and Grasse lock discusses his career As a professional sportsman you always try and maximise […]

“I learned my trade on the world’s big stages” – My Life in Rugby with Simon Hunt

7 August 2022 0 comments

The former England Sevens/U21s, Rosslyn Park, Narbonne, Perpignan, Pertemps Bees, Ebbw Vale, Newport, Bristol, Moseley & Dings Crusaders winger Playing a bit of rugby league […]

My Life in Rugby with Olly Morgan: I was so proud to be a king of Kingsholm

31 July 2022 0 comments

The former England and Gloucester full-back talks about his career Kingsholm, particularly the Shed, has a very well-deserved reputation for being the most hostile ground […]

My Life in Rugby with Matt Powell: Call-up was a case of mistaken identity

24 July 2022 22 comments

The former Saracens, Worcester and Harlequins scrum-half Unstoppable: Matt Powell charges through the Bucuresti Oaks defence for Worcester PICTURE:Getty Images Twice in my career I […]

Scrum-half or full-back? I made the right choice

19 June 2022 1 comment

BEN FODEN – 34-capped England International SCRUM-HALF or full-back? My dad still has that debate with me every time I go back home! There was […]

My body tells me to quit, but I just can’t!

12 June 2022 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY SOANE TONGA’UIHA THE FORMER TONGA, BEDFORD, NORTHAMPTON, RACING 92, OYONNAX, BRISTOL AND AMPTHILL PROP AND CURRENT PLAYER-COACH AT CHINNOR RFC IT […]

I learned via the school of hard knocks

22 May 2022 1 comment

MY LIFE IN RUGBY IAN KENCH THE FORMER OXFORD UNIVERSITY, LOUGHBOROUGH, SALE, NOTTINGHAM AND ESHER LOCK WHEN Mike Brewer came in at Sale, we had […]

Hong Kong triumph built on sand of Bali

8 May 2022 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE FORMER ENGLAND SEVENS INTERNATIONAL AND NORTHAMPTON, SALE, TREVISO & CALVISANO CENTRE WHO NOW COACHES ITALY SEVENS ANDY VILK Crowd pleaser: […]

I’ve gone over THAT try a million times in my head!

1 May 2022 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE FORMER ENGLAND, LIONS AND SALE SHARKS WINGER MARK CUETO ABOUT six months after we came back from the 2007 World […]

It was a roller coaster ride around England

3 April 2022 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE FORMER PLYMOUTH, BRISTOL, WORCESTER, LONDON WELSH, SALE, LEEDS, ROUEN AND NEWCASTLE FULL-BACK/WING TOM ARSCOTT MY playing career has been a […]

Time to pass on the Kingsholm clippers

20 March 2022 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY FORMER ENGLAND, GLOUCESTER AND MOSELEY WINGER CHARLIE SHARPLES I REMEMBER being chuffed to bits that I got picked for Stroud District […]

Andre offered me a route back from sea

13 March 2022 2 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBYCARL KIRWAN THE NOTTINGHAM FLANKER, FORMERLY OF ROTHERHAM, LONDON WELSH, WORCESTER & CHINNORMixing it with the best of them: Carl Kirwan playing […]

Scotland ticket was too good to resist

6 March 2022 1 comment

MY LIFE IN RUGBYMICHAEL CUSACK Leading the fight: Michael Cusack in action for Leeds against LeicesterFORMER SCOTLAND, LEEDS, DONCASTER, GLASGOW AND NEWCASTLE PROPANY new ‘foreign’ […]

Proud I could play my part in green to unite people

27 February 2022 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBYTHE FORMER BRITISH & IRISH LIONS, IRELAND AND OXFORD UNIVERSITY FULL-BACKHUGO MACNEILL EVEN though I played for the British and Irish Lions […]

No way Nutty’s adding Park to bankruptcy list!

20 February 2022 1 comment

MY LIFE IN RUGBYBIRKENHEAD PARK HEAD COACH AND FORMER ENGLAND COUNTIES, WATERLOO, LEEDS TYKES, WAKEFIELD AND PERTEMPS BEES PROPMARTIN O’KEEFE STEVE Nutt, my former Waterloo […]

I’ll never get tired of talking about 1990 Grand Slam

13 February 2022 1 comment

MY LIFE IN RUGBYTHE FORMER SCOTLAND, LIONS, MELROSE,HARLEQUINS, WORCESTER AND PERTEMPS BEES FLY-HALFCRAIG CHALMERS Lion cub: Craig Chalmers playing against Australia for the Lions in […]

Ireland came calling after my Sale switch

6 February 2022 1 comment

MY LIFE IN RUGBYCHRISTIAN SAVERIMUTTO THE FORMER IRELAND, SALE & WATERLOO SCRUM-HALFI WAS obsessed with rugby, I used to live, sleep and eat it and […]

Lord Sugar was only person to tell me ‘You’re Fired!’

30 January 2022 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE FORMER LEINSTER, CONNACHT, LONDON IRISH & IRELAND U20 FLANKER AND RECENT STAR OF THE APPRENTICE CONOR GILSENAN Leading from front: […]

My Bedford team could have made it in the Prem

23 January 2022 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE FORMER BEDFORD, LONDON IRISH, BARBARIANS AND MIDLANDS CENTRE BEN WHETSTONE RUDI STRAEULI used to have a saying, ‘Bedford players, friends […]

Bester had me doing 100 scrums after a night of booze!

16 January 2022 2 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBYSTUART CORSAR THE FORMER SCOTLAND A, GLASGOW, ROTHERHAM AND DONCASTER PROP THE two-and-a-bit years I spent at Rotherham was probably my favourite […]

I didn’t ask Deano about money, I just said yes!

9 January 2022 2 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE FORMER ENGLAND STUDENTS, LEEDS, JERSEY & NEWCASTLE PROP SAM LOCKWOOD ALL my family are from Yorkshire and my dad played […]

My job at Sedgley Park was to punch people

2 January 2022 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE PRESTON GRASSHOPPERS HEAD COACH AND FORMER ENGLAND COUNTIES, LANCASHIRE, SALE, SEDGLEY PARK, ORRELL, NOTTINGHAM, MOLESEY, CALDY AND FYLDE LOCK PAUL […]

I was a bit wild and needed discipline

26 December 2021 1 comment

MY LIFE IN RUGBYTHE FORMER BATH, LONDON SCOTTISH, WASPS, SCOTLAND AND LIONS LOCKDAMIAN CRONIN Triumph: Damian Cronin, centre, sets up the ball in the France […]

I feel so much happier since stepping back

19 December 2021 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE FORMER IRELAND U20 AND, HARLEQUINS SCRUM-HALF NOW AT UTAH WARRIORS NIALL SAUNDERS In early 2017, I was told by the […]

Sickening Sarries start installed my work ethic

12 December 2021 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBYTHE FORMER SARACENS, BRISTOL, WORCESTER, HARLEQUINS AND DRAGONS SCRUM-HALF NOW AT ROSSLYN PARKLUKE BALDWIN I turned down a place on the Classics […]

Training with the SAS very nearly killed me!

5 December 2021 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE FORMER LEINSTER, ROTHERHAM, GLOUCESTER AND MUNSTER WINGER SHANE MONAHAN IDEFINITELY experienced the fickle nature of professional sport at first hand, […]

My Life in Rugby

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