NRC 2018 - Ready for Kick-Off !!!

The NRC season is very close to kicking off and to say I'm excited is an understatement.

Brisbane City and Queensland Country have their squads together… and their first matches are this weekend, with City playing at home!!

The schedules are here.

Earlier this week, I was stoked to hear there'd be an "opposed training session" involving both teams, down at GPS's home-ground in Ashgrove. I didn't know exactly what that meant but then... on Friday, there was an "announcement" that it would be a game, a bit of a friendly.

It was a great hit-out, especially with a lot of tries being scored, nine all up.

Bring on next weekend!

A Friend from Norths from the Northern Hemisphere: Yuhei Yamazaki

First of all, congrats to the GPS Rugby Club who are now Premier Grade champions!!! What a game - and well done Uni for putting up a good fight! It’s funny, I’m already looking forward to the next club rugby season.

Speaking of club rugby… great moments and great people… Back in May when I was watching the Reds play in Tokyo, a guy named Yuhei came up to me and said he used to play for Norths rugby club in Brisbane!

He played for Norths for 2 seasons, in 1990-91. He has now retired from playing and is a lecturer in Health Sciences, in Kamogawa (near Tokyo). We kept in touch and I asked him if he’d be interested in answering some questions for Reds Rugby Rules.

I hope you enjoy his answers! (He told me he’d forgotten a lot of his English, but I think he did pretty well!!)

It was great to meet you in Tokyo at the Sunwolves vs Reds game. Thank you for keeping in touch and for doing this email interview!

You told me that you have played rugby in Brisbane before for Norths. What brought you to Australia?

I went to Australia, because I wanted to play Rugby in Australia. I was fan of Mark Ella.

I didn’t know anyone in Australia, however, luckily I met a junior coach of Norths, George Minehan. He introduced me to the team.

If I didn’t meet him my life would have been different. Thanks to him and his family, I have been enjoying my life.

How many years did you live in Australia?

I lived in Australia for about two and half year more totally.

How many years did you play for Norths rugby club? And how old were you when you played here?

I played for Norths for 2 years. I was 22 and 23 years old.

What did you love about Norths?

I loved Norths, as the team coach and mates were friendly like a family and kind. We had lots of laughs.

Do you have any photos of you playing for Norths?

I have some photos with the team mates. These are my treasure.

Did you travel to Tokyo just to see the Sunwolves? You must be a big fan!

I am crazy about Rugby, actually it was my second time watching the the Sunwolves at stadium, though I wanted to watch the game because of the Queensland Reds. The Queensland Reds are my heroes.

How did you get into playing rugby?

My father used to play Rugby when I was high school and university. He established a junior Rugby club when I was in primary school and I joined the team. 

What’s your favourite thing about rugby?

My favourite thing of rugby is the heart of Rugby player and people who like Rugby are so nice.

Are you looking forward to the World Cup next year?!

It is like a dream to have the World cup in Japan, which I never imagined before.

I watched the first World Cup in 1987 the semi-final between Australia and France, and the All Blacks and Wales.

Thanks for answering some questions!

Thank you very much too.

It reminds me of the time with wonderful team mates and my host family, and nice people in Australia.

Hopefully, we do get to have that drink in Tokyo, or maybe in Komogawa some day!

I am looking forward to seeing you again.

Reds Rugby Rules meets the Red Heavies

Checking out the field before training kicks off

In case you’ve been living under a rock inside of Rugby land, this Sunday is finals week for club footy! And just in time, I managed to sneak in and visit University Rugby club (usually called “Uni” for short) for my club profile series. The team known as the "Red Heavies" are set to battle the GPS "Gallopers" for the 2018 premiership. When? 3pm on Sunday, 19th August down at Ballymore.

Not too far from Wests, this great club is right in the middle of UQ (University of Queensland) and with members from across Brisbane, the community spirit is alive and well here.

This was obvious throughout team training and the special event that took place afterwards...

It was awesome to watch the Premier team warm up with a fun game of touch with the U13s team.

When training began though, it was down to business.

Was good to meet Tom Court, one of the older, probably much wiser players in the team. He was a member of the 2006 Reds team, before he jet-setted off to Ireland. He said he couldn't cheer for my Wallabies beanie, because he played for the Irish against them(!) Still... best of luck this Sunday Tom.

It was great to meet UQ coach Mick Heenan. He'll be coaching City again in this years NRC.

Members from one of Uni's champion teams in the 80s were present to hand out the jersey's to the team.

I was so glad that I got to be a part of the "Calcutta" competition, raising money for Conor Tweedy's recovery journey. In the middle of a busy finals week, the team and many old boys of the club got together to raise money for 16 year old Conor who seriously injured his back in a scrum earlier this year. To find out more about Conor's journey, please check out his website here: www.conortweedy.com.

All up, well over $4,500 was raised for Connor!!! Guest auctioneer Mike Wheeler was brilliant, he made me laugh a lot.

Plenty of trophy-ware on display in the club-room, but as was shared tonight, what really makes a club great is how a club bands together in tough times.

Catching up with Red Heavies Harry Hocking’s 

I've been hoping to catch up with Red Heavy and Queensland Red, Harry for a while and was glad he was able to sit down for an interview while I visited UQ. Growing up in Bowen in FNQ, he travelled to Brisbane to go to school at Churchie and has risen through the ranks in Queensland rugby ever since. Reds coach Brad Thorne has said he could go on to play "100 tests" for the Wallabies and several weeks back he got a taste of what could be to come, by playing in the Wallabies trial, right before his club semi-final against GPS. This will be his first time starting in a club final, he came off the bench in last years grand-final win.

Hi Harry, thanks for making a bit of time to catch up! It’s been a busy week for you.

First of all, what does playing in the Premier rugby grand final mean to you?

It means a lot to me, it’s pretty important. I love playing for UQ, it’s a great club. Especially the chance to go back to back, it hasn’t been done for a while, It’d be awesome to do that as well.

What was it like coming off the bench in the semi-final, after a big week down in Sydney?

Yeah, it was good. Really good. Obviously I didn’t start the game, I wasn’t here for the training all week. It was good to come of the bench in the second half. It was a tough game, GPS played really well, they have a tough, physical forward pack, it was good to get out there and good to get the win in the end.

What’s something you love most about this club?

Probably the camaraderie around it all. I’ve become mates with a lot of the boys here. They’re good blokes, the players and the coaches and playing alongside them all. It’s a great culture.

You began your rugby journey up in Bowen in Far North Queensland. When did you start playing?

I grew up playing rugby league mostly in Bowen, there’s not too much Union up in North Queensland, with the Cowboys up there. I did a few rugby clinics and things like that. But rugby sort of kicked off when I came to school here, at Churchie in grade 8. That was good, good programme there.

When did you decide you wanted to play professionally?

I think growing up it was sort of a dream. I didn’t think it would ever come true! I guess I got an opportunity after school, U20s and played a bit through that, and the dream sort of became a reality, as cliche as it sounds. Then I got this opportunity with the Reds, which is awesome.

Brad Thorne has had some high praise for you, regarding your potential with the Wallabies. What was it like being involved with the Wallabies in the trial the other week?

It was good to be down there training with the Wallabies. It was an awesome experience. I learnt a lot while I was down there. I grew up watching them play for the Wallabies, it was awesome being able to chat alongside them and have a bit of a stint off the bench during that trial match as well. 

How’s the season been for you personally at the Reds and have you enjoyed being coached by Thorne?

Yeah definitely! I’ve been coached by him for about 3 years now, with the NRC and U20s before that. I really like Thorney as a coach, he’s definitely helped my game heaps. I really like him as a coach. And I’ve definitely enjoyed my season with the Reds as well. It wasn’t as successful as we hoped, but there’s a lot of things we took away from it, a lot of improvements I guess and hopefully we’ll build on it and do better.

I know the Grand Final is the number one thing on your mind. But you must be looking forward to the NRC season coming up?

Yeah definitely. There was a training last night, we just went and watched, but it was good to get out there and catch up with all the Country boys. I had a great time last year, winning was awesome, so hopefully we can do that again. And after the grand final is finished, it’ll be good to get stuck into that.

Cheers for your time today Harry. Best of luck to you and everyone involved in the Grand final! It’s going to be a great game for sure!!

Awesome. Thanks for having me! Cheers.

Thanks to everyone at Uni for having me!

What a week it will end up being for club footy and especially for Uni and old rivals GPS. It's the Premier final and the stakes are high. The Gallopers are hungry to get their first premiership since '96 and the Heavies are equally hungry to make history with back to back titles. But as events like this weeks Calcutta fundraiser prove, there is more to rugby than winning and losing. At the end of the day, as old mate Sauce said to me tonight, rugby will definitely be the winner. See you all at Ballymore.

Hanging Out at GPS Rugby Club / An Interview with the Ruan and JP Smith Twins

GPS Rugby club, often affectionately referred to as "Jeeps" is the oldest of the Rugby Clubs in Brisbane. It's a very friendly place as I found out (and as my interviewees also testified). At the same time, the club is very competitive. They are the only club that has made all six sets of finals this year, including the Premier mens and womens divisions.

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The finals are this weekend at Ballymore! Make sure you get on down and support the teams. Find all of the match information here.

On Sunday, 1:30pm: GPS Women's XV are playing against Sunnybank!

3:05: GPS (Men's) are playing University of Queensland

5:15pm: - Easts are playing Souths!
I'm pretty excited to say the least.

During training, it was great chatting to Tim (Hooker Troy Simpkin's dad), who filled me in on many things GPS related.

Good to see old mate Bobby Tuttle at training too. He was glad I finally made it to "the best club".

An Interview with Ruan and JP Smith

I enjoyed getting to catch up with JP and Ruan, two Reds players that love their club, GPS. I was lucky to get to interview JP back in January (you can catch up on it here). Soon after, his brother followed him to the Queensland Reds and they've been loving playing on the same team again. (I dare say Reds fans have been happy too.) Because it was his first interview, there are some questions I directed at Ruan. As everyone that's met them knows, they are great fun and always ready to make fun of each other.

Thanks to both of you for making some time. Ruan, it’s great we finally get to catch up for Reds Rugby Rules!

Ruan: Thanks Tommy, really appreciate it. Always good seeing you.

How long have both of you played for GPS?

Ruan: We came to Australia in 2010, started playing with GPS in 2011, 12, then in 2013 I went to the Brumbies, then JP in 2014 came as well. So since 2011, on and off.

The Premier Rugby semi-final is this Sunday at Ballymore. How excited are you about this game?

JP: Yeah, we really can’t wait. We really approach these games the same as we approach the Reds games. Having the disappointment of playing in the semi-final three years, 2011, 12, 13, we’ve lost all 3 games. So we really want to win this one.

What are some things that you both love about this Club?

Ruan: In 2010, when we decided on a club… we went to a few other clubs, but when we first came to Jeeps and they introduced us, we immediately felt at home. It was just an instant choice. We met all the boys and we had one training session and just decided. It’s a family environment, it’s a friendly club. [JP: Everyones tight. Ruan:] and that’s what my brother and I are all about. That automatically drew us to Jeeps.

I have asked JP about his rugby journey... Ruan, other than GPS and the Reds, which teams have you played for around the world? And when did you start playing footy?

Ruan: I started playing when I was a kid, 10, 11 or around there.  I played soccer at first, believe it or not.

JP: Obviously not goalie. (Both laugh.)

Ruan: So we started at Jeeps, 2010. Then I went to the Brumbies and I played 4 seasons there, 2013-16 and I went to Japan in between and played 3 seasons for Toyota Virblitz. And now I’m in Queensland.

Which of you is older? And how often do you get introduced as each other? 

JP: I’m older, 3 minutes. But Ruan sometimes doesn’t get that, because you, know, he disrespects me a fair bit. No respect for the older brother. 

Ruan: Yeah, we still get mixed up at the Reds. I’ll get called JP, he’ll get called Ruan. But we’re so used to it, we’ll just react. It’s so normal. If someone calls me JP, I’m just be like “yep”!

What is the biggest trick you have played on someone because of it?

Ruan: The school one?

JP: Yeah.

Ruan: I reckon, when we were in high school and we had this geography teacher we didn’t really like a lot at the time. And we always used to say… “JP would you take this period for me and I’ll take your period.” So he’d come into my class and I’d come into his class. 

But eventually we got caught because in school we had allocated seats and JP went into class for me and he sat in the wrong seat. So the teacher was like “what are you doing?” And that’s how they caught us.

Mostly sort of innocent tricks like that. Not too much bad stuff. (Laughs).

Ruan, what does playing in Brisbane, in the State of Queensland mean to you?

Mate, I get asked this question a lot. For me… we moved to Queensland in 2006 and my parents went to the Reds games back then and they still have the same season tickets behind the uprights.

For 10 years, they’ve had the same season tickets. My families here, my brothers here, my parents live on the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane is home.

Coming back here when I had the opportunity was a no-brainer for me. So that’s the main thing for me, family.

JP, you gave a great answer to this last time... Ruan, what’s some advice you would give to young boys and girls wanting to play footy?

The advice I give kids is never forget why you started playing. Cos it’s the most important thing. Sometimes down the track, especially if you make it professionally, you sort of forget the reason why you started. The camaraderie and the mate-ship, never forget that and enjoy it for the right reasons.

What’s something that only you two know about each other?

Ruan: That’s a good question that one. I think that we are into chick-flicks.

JP: Yeah that’s a big one, we watch a lot of romantic comedies. And we actually prefer watching romantic comedies, with each other, which is a bit weird. (Both laugh).

Ruan: I guess that’s how close we are.

JP: People don’t know, except for those camera jokes that we post, how scared you really are, of scary movies and being alone in the dark Ruan.

Ruan: I’m just real edgy all the time.

JP: I can lay in the living room for example and I’ll yell to my brother “did you hear that knock?” And he’ll just say “JP, stop it! Stop it!”

Ruan: I’m just on edge, always. I hope not many people know that. But now they do.

JP: I take a bit of advantage of it some times.

Thanks JP and Ruan for catching up this week!  All the best this weekend and may the best team win!

JP: Thanks big man. Thanks for coming out in the cold. I know it’s a lot of effort to come and watch the Gallopers.

Ruan: Cheers for that, always a pleasure my friend.

It was great meeting club CEO and former Wallaby, Anthony Herbert.

Anthony told me that because it often gets cold at the club, they have a wood supply for an outdoor fire. Sometimes, they'll gather around it, with food and drinks and sometimes even live music! (Sounds like my kind of party.)

Congrats to the Women's XV on making this years final.

The Women trained for even longer than they men. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay until the end because the cold began to get to me. See you guys on Sunday though!
(And don't worry, I'll have some Women's interviews for Reds Rugby Rules coming soon).

You can find info about GPS Rugby club here: www.gpsrugby.com.au (They're also on Facebook here). Pay them a visit, you won't regret it!