Womens Rugby Rules / Rugby Rules Part #1

It is true that my cousin Grace Hamilton plays rugby in New South Wales. It was exciting watching her play for the Womens Warratah's at the Global Tens competition in Brisbane the other week. So I'm making a very special exception and interviewing her and her friend Emily Chancellor for this weeks interview. They're both lovely people, and great ambassadors for the game. A big thank you to them for their time.

The focus on female rugby has really only just picked up. What was it that brought you to the game?

Grace Hamilton: I actually started playing rugby in America because they didn’t have any netball. It was a good way to make American friends and growing up around it, it made sense. 

Emily Chancellor: I always watched it and really liked it so I thought - why not have a crack!

What are your favourite teams to watch?

Grace: My favourite teams to watch are the Waratah’s and the Wallabies and the Aussie Sevens girls.

Emily: The team I support is the Waratahs but I do have a soft spot for the Brumbies as well. I play for Sydney University.

Grace, we know that you play back row, and Emily, you play flanker. What do these positions involve?

Grace: I play back row now but I started in the centers in America and the ACT. It’s a fun position. You are involved in a lot of contests and are one of the main support players on the field. But I would play anywhere.

Emily: I play as a loose forward (same as Gracie) so we have to do a lot of running and be there to carry the ball and protect the ball when a team mate runs the ball.

How was it playing in Suncorp Stadium during the Global 10s and having your team being truly recognised?

Grace: Playing at Suncorp stadium was not only good for us players but I think it was a really good step for women’s rugby. There were a lot of players that should of and would have loved to be there and for us to be given that opportunity was really special. We were treated the same as the men’s teams and although we were all star-struck for the majority of the time it was great!

Emily: Playing at Suncorp was one of the most exciting experiences of my rugby career so far! It was amazing to play in front of such a big and loud crowd.

What is the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Grace: My biggest highlight so far would be being given the opportunity to represent Australia before the Bledisloe in New Zealand last year.

Another highlight would have to be touring with our Sydney team. We have such a tight knit group of girls and we always bring out the best in each other.

Emily: Playing at Suncorp and winning the club championships last year.

Can you tell us something about yourself that no one may know?

Grace: Something that no one would know.. I have no idea. I’m pretty much and open book. Ahh…  I like painting and sewing? Haha

Emily: I own two surfboards and used to surf all the time as a kid.

What is some advice for an aspiring player, both girls and boys?

Grace: I think the best advice I could give to any girls or boys wanting to play rugby, or any sport, is get involved and don’t be afraid of failure. The friendships you will make are lifelong, so at any level, just enjoy it!

If people tell you you can’t do it, keep the fire in your belly and believe in yourself. Do the best you can.

Emily: Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because of your size - and hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

Awesome. That's great advice! Thanks again for your time.

***

With the start of the Super Rugby kick-off happening this week, I'll be kicking off our Rugby Rules series! That's right, it is a play on words. I'll aim talk about one rule each week during the season, as well as do the interviews.

Rule for the week:

A team kicks off with a drop kick which is taken from the half way mark (or behind it).

If the kick is not done right, the other team gets to either: a) have the ball kicked again, or feed a scrum from half way.

The drop kick has to go for 10 meters. If it doesn't go 10 meters, the other team can either play on, or opt to restart as above.

To find out more about the rules of the game, check out www.laws.worldrugby.org

Source: kick-off rules)

For those uninitiated, that will help you understand the game a little bit more when you watch the Reds play the Sharks tonight!

An Interview with Michael Gunn and Adam Korczyk

Today, right after training, I was fortunate enough to get to get to sit down with Michael Gunn and Adam Korczyk from the Queensland Reds. Both young, both talented players with big futures ahead, and both lovely guys to talk.

Hi guys, thank you for doing this interview.

Adam Korczyk: Thanks for having us.

You both left school in 2012, did you ever play against each other?

Adam Korczyk: Yeah, we both played club rugby when we were young, I played at Taylor Bridge, junior rugby club, Gunny played at the East Tigers junior rugby club, so we’ve probably been playing each other since 2008, and then, playing first 15, I went to Brisbane State High School and then Gunny went to Churchy [Anglican Church Grammar School]. I played Gunny during my school days.

Michael Gunn: I remember there was one big game, Churchy versus State High in 2011, that was probably my favourite game against kiwi [Adam].

Adam Korczyk: Yeah we lost that game. (Both laugh)

Where were you guys from originally?

AK: I was born in New Zealand, and I lived there - in Auckland - for twelve years. And then I moved over to Brisbane in 2007. So I did my one year of grade seven, then high school over here.

MG: I was born in Brissy, and moved around a little bit, and then came back, my old man was working for mining companies, and ended up coming back here in 2003, and we’ve been here ever since.

What are your Premier teams?

AK: I play for the University of Queensland.

MG: And I play for the East Tigers.

AK: But I’m not sure if I’ve ever versed Gunny… I think I’ve versed Gunny once in Premier grade.

Gunny: Yeah I can’t remember.

AK: Gunny was playing premier grade before me, cos he was a bit of a school prodigy.

Is it hard to be some of the younger members of the team?

AK: Yeah I guess we’re less experienced at professional rugby, but I guess me and Gunny have been here 3-4 years, in the Reds training base. It’s not that new to us anymore. Sometimes, I know, the older guys give you a bit of stick and stuff, but I think we’ve sort of earned our place.

Gunny: Yeah I agree, yeah you definitely know that you’re younger, you’ve just kind of got to fit in and know your place.

What’s the biggest highlight of your careers so far?

AK: For me, probably… I’d say the first time I put on the red jersey was pretty good for me, but I’d say the second time I put it on… The first time I played just 10 minutes, over in South Africa, and then the second time, I thought I’d maybe get on 10 minutes at the end of the game, but there was an injury to our flanker at the time, in the third minute, so I ended up playing the whole game, somehow survived, we won against the Cheetahs, over in Bloemfontein, and then scored a try in the second half as well, so that was probably the biggest highlight so far for me. 

Gunny: It would probably be my debut for the Reds against the Lions in early 2015, and the other one would be beating New Zealand at school boys in 2012. And then another one would be winning the Prem-grade final in 2015, winning the Hospital Cup, that was pretty exciting.

Can you tell us something that most people might not know about you?

AK: I’ll say… obviously people see my last name and think that’s not Australian. My family are originally from Poland, so that’s where my last name comes from. Although, I was born in New Zealand, so since I came over, I got the nick-name kiwi, and that sort of stuck through my school years, and even now with the Reds. So, it’s a bit of a multi-cultural/multi-country identity going on here…

Gunny: Two things, people might not know about me, I study engineering at UA, it’s something on the side, hopefully I can go into something with that when I finish my [rugby] career. Something else… I’ve got two 11 year old twin sisters, and they’re identical, genetically identical anyway. They’re probably two of my best friends.

What is some advice you would give aspiring players, both boys and girls?

Kiwi: I’d say, from my experience, when your younger, enjoy your rugby. Some people try and become too serious too early. When your young, you gotta just have fun. And obviously, when you get older and if you want to take it seriously, that’s when you start preparing. Obviously, boys have had it for a long time now, with Sevens now and the Aussie womens team winning the Olympic gold medal, I think that’s a big path-way for girls. Rugby’s not so “boy centric” now. They’ve been trying to bring women into the game, but with the Sevens, and the success there, I think that’s a good opportunity for girls to just take up rugby, and get involved.

Gunny: My two points would be work hard and take the opportunities. When you get an opportunity, make sure you take it with both hands because you don’t know if it’s gonna come again.

Thanks Adam and Michael for giving us your time.

Interview Delays and a Website Meltdown???

Sorry friends for the delay in publishing an interview this week. Because of a change in the Reds training schedule, we won't be catching up with them until this afternoon... Thanks for your support and for checking in!

ALSO, the website has been down for a few days! Thanks to the people that notified us. We are still unsure why this happened. The website (run by Google) told us that it detected "suspicious activity". We might ask the USA Whitehouse soon if they have any experience dealing with these sorts of matters.

I'll be catching up with some Reds players after training today. Stay tuned, and follow me on Instagram (@tomhamiltonreds) to find out who!

I'll leave you with this photo from the Brisbane Global Rugby 10s competition... my cousin Gracie flew here to represent the womens Warratah's team! We might just make a VERY SPECIAL exception and interview her in the future.

Global Rugby Tens is in My City

The Global Rugby Tens tournament starts in Brisbane tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited !!!!

I'm going to be cheering on the Reds more than anyone...

Here's the team that's representing the Reds this year:

1. James Slipper
2. Taniela Tupou [Check out this weeks interview with him below]
3. Sef Fa'agase
4. Sam Talakai
5. Alex Mafi
6. Andrew Ready
7. Rob Simmons
8. Cadeyrn Neville
9. Lukhan Tui
10. Izack Rodda
11. Michael Gunn
12. Adam Korczyk
13. Leroy Houston
14. James Tuttle
15. Moses Sorovi
16. Jake McIntyre
17. Duncan Paia'aua
18. Henry Taefu
19. Samu Kerevi
20. Eto Nabuli
21. Lachlan Maranta
22. Chris Kuridrani
23. Brad Lacey
24. Karmichael Hunt
25. Jayden Ngamanu
26. Chris Lathamn

[Click here for pics]

That's a solid team. And again... especially with the way they've been training, I'm sure they'll do well. See you there boys.

***

At Reds Rugby Rules, we're going to start sharing one rule of the game each week. But this week - to celebrate the Tens tournament, why not let Ready explain what makes Tens so unique and exciting.

Make sure you check back next week for more player interviews and cool stuff.

-T

An Interview with Tongan Thor - aka Taniela Tupou

On a very hot Friday morning, right after his teams last training before the international Tens tournament in Brisbane, we sat down the with Taniela Tupou, otherwise known to Rugby fans as Tongan Thor. He was kind enough to answer some questions, and share about his journey to playing rugby in Brisbane and what motivates him the most.

After so much interest from clubs around the world, what brought you to the Reds?

I grew up in Tonga and Quade Cooper and Will Genia, I was one of their biggest fans. I think that's one of the reason I came to the Reds - because of Quade and Will Genia. But I grew up in Tonga and I supported the Wallabies, Quadey and Willy were here, and the Reds are here in Australia, and that's why I came here pretty much.

Which club do you play for?

Im playing for Brothers. It's a really good club. We won the championship last year... it was good. I've been here three years and, it was my first time winning a premiership for my club. If you ever decide to play one day, come to Brothers!

I know you play tight-head prop, what is your role in that position?

My role is the scrum. It sounds funny, but that's the most important thing for tight-heads. We have to get it right, and all the other things come later on. For the tight-head, loose-head and hooker, our job is the scrum, and we make sure we do that well. And then, hitting the rucks, tackles and... you know I love running the ball, but I have to scrum first.

What's the toughest thing about pre-season training?

Pre-season - it's just running. Running, running, running, to get yourself ready for the season. During the season you don't have much time for fitness. It's all about all the cores and movements and stuff. We have four weeks of pre-season, which is running, and contact, and smashing each other. And especially here in Queensland, as you know it's hot. It's pretty tough.

Can you tell us something about yourself that not many people would know?

Ok. I'm one of 11, because I have seven sisters, and three brothers. So not many people know that, but I'm the youngest of 11. I have some bigger brothers. You think I'm big! There are bigger brothers out there, some bigger boys out there.

We know your name isn't really Thor. But can you tell us if Taniela has a special meaning?

There was this lady, I forgot where she's from, she came to Tonga ages ago. She used to help my Dad, cos my Dad didn't have a job, so my Dad worked for her. She pretty much provided stuff for my family. Her dads name is Daniel, so I was named after her Dad. Her name was Aileen. My name is Daniel - and Daniel is is Taniela in Tongan.

What would be some advice for aspiring players, both boys and girls?

I'd say, never give up. For me, I came from nothing. I grew up in Tonga, and I made the Tongan under-14s, and I went to New Zealand, and we played against Sacred Heart, my [future] school. And when I went back to Tonga, they contacted me and said we feel you're a good player, we're gonna pick you to come play for New Zealand and study there and play footy. My Mum didn't want me to go, but for me, I was 14 at the time, and I thought, to have a future, I'd need to leave Tonga. So I think just, appreciate what you have, and never give up. And if you're thinking of giving up, just think of something that motivates you, like your family. For me, what keeps me going is my Mum. My Dad passed away so it's my Mum who keeps me going. I can do everything when I think of my Mum. It's that important. It's easier here. You get everything here. But in Tonga what's on the table, you have to eat it. Here, you have choices. But over there in Tonga, if it's taro, or just bread, with no butter.. You just appreciate what you have. There's people out there that have nothing. So just be grateful and happy with what you have.

Thank you Taniela for your time, good luck on Saturday.

Thanks Tom, we appreciate that mate. If there's anything we can help you with, just come and let me know. Cos we're more than happy to help you out. Thank you, I'll do my best on Saturday.

An Interview with Slipper the Skipper

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to sit down and interview one of the nicest guys in Queensland, who happens to be the Reds captain, James Slipper.

I know you grew up in Queensland... which club did you play for?

I grew up on the Gold Coast, and I played for the Bond University Breakers.

When I finished school, I was lucky enough to be invited to the Reds, here in Brisbane, but I've always been supporting the boys back in the Gold Coast.

I've got a really good, deep connection with the Gold Coast and I love it, but overall, Queensland's the winner.

What do you like about Brisbane?

There's a lot of things.. I guess I've have to say the weather. Look at today, it's a beautiful day, it's always hot, it rarely gets cold so, for me, Brisbane's just a large country town I guess. It's never too busy, but there's always a lot going on. I've got a lot of friends and family here, so it feels like home to me.

I know your a loose-head prop, what is your role in that position?

My role as a loose-head prop.. it's basically to go out there and do the majority of the work and get no recognition for it... no just joking. We really enjoy our role out there, we work hard and kind of lay the platform for our backs to score off, so we get a lot of satisfaction from seeing our team-mates score the tries. As long as we win, we're the happiest in the change-rooms.

What's the most challenging thing about being the captain?

That's a real interesting question. Probably, communication with different blokes. A certain young fellow, you might have to address him or talk to him in a different way than you could to one of your closer mates, or an experienced players. I think that aspect of it, I'm still learning basically, I think I find that probably the most tough, but one that I'm looking to improve.

What is the highlight of your career?

I think representing my country at the World Cups, back in 2011 and 2015. Beating the All Blacks a couple of times, that's always pretty up there. I guess any time you play for Queensland, it's a highlight.

Can you tell us something about yourself that no-one will know?

[Pauses and smiles] ... that's probably the hardest question of the day I think!

I like to be clean and neat, believe it or not.. coming from a front-rower, it seems a bit hard to believe, so I guess I go against the current a bit. Everything has to be in the right place, in terms of my house, or bedroom, everything has to be put away and I think that's just carried through to me since my Mum drilled it into me when I was a kid.

What is your advice for an aspiring player, for boys and girls?

It all comes down to enjoyment for me, if I could give any advice that I thought was useful for my career, it's enjoyment. When you're going out there, when your training, or your going out there to play for your mates, if you're having fun, that's probably the best sort of advice I can give you. That's where you're going to be positive about what your doing, you're going to work hard to reach your goals, so I feel like having fun is the main priority, and I think basically if I look personally for myself, that's what's pushed me ten years into my career. I'm still enjoying the fact that I get to put on the boots every day and go out there and train hard and play on the weekend. It's a major reason why I do play.

Thanks James for your time.