Catching Up with Curtis Browning

Reds Rugby Rules never stops.... because there's no shortage of memories and stories to share from the rugby community!

Lately, I caught up with former-Red Curtis Browning, who for the last few years has been playing for the French club Colomiers. He is currently in lockdown with two kids, so we had a good chat via email :-).

I've known Curtis since he was in primary school, so it made perfect sense to try to reach out during the lockdown and hear how he's going. He shared some of his experiences, including, mainly of course, memories from his time with the Queensland Reds (2013-2016).

Curtis had always been good to talk to, down to earth
and always making time for fans 

I'm 100% sure you'll enjoy reading my interview below!

How’s life in France been for the last few years? (Before the virus came along.)

I've loved my time in France. The footy is a very different style of play to back home. It’s a lot slower and as a result it’s more physical across the 80 minutes. The lifestyle has been great. The French definitely have their way of doing things and living, it's been a very enjoyable experience. To add to that, we've been able to explore a lot of France and get some travel in, which has been unreal.

France will forever be a special place for my wife Courtney and I, not just because we've lived here for 4 years, but because of our 2 daughters, Penelope and Theodora were both born here. One of the most enjoyable parts of the experience has been seeing our eldest Penelope start to speak the language by attending the local school.

How have you and the family been since the lockdown in France?

It's been a big change, that's for sure. We're lucky that we live in a townhouse with a small garden and not in an apartment like most people here, it's allowed us to get outside and enjoy the sunshine most days which we've been very grateful for, with the 2 girls running around! 

The restrictions are much stricter here than back in Australia, there are large on the spot fines for people who don't have what is essentially a permission slip to show authorities while you are out and about doing only what is considered essential (groceries and medical appointments). We are also allowed to leave our homes for 1 hour of exercise per day but must stay within a 1km radius of our home or risk getting fined. So we have been doing a few laps of our suburb every day to get out of the house with the kids.

Having these restrictions since March 17th, you without a doubt appreciate all the little freedoms we all so often enjoy and we're very grateful we've managed to stay healthy and that we aren't facing the difficulties that so many other families around the world are.

Let’s talk about Queensland rugby! You are one of the great exports to come out of this State. What are some of the things you learnt, here in Queensland, that still keep you going today?

Haha I'm not sure if I'm one of the great exports, but playing for Queensland was without a doubt my most satisfying and fulfilling rugby experience. I played Rugby League up until high school, so I learned most of my rugby from 2 great coaches at Brisbane State High, David Eagle and Graham Noon. Without the two of them who knows where I would've ended up, they taught me the game.

More of a life lesson than just a rugby one, but when I got into the Reds system, I got to learn what it took and looked like to be great at a craft. Seeing the hours of training and video that guys like Rob Simmons, James Horwill, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Ben Daley, Digby Ioane and Beau Robinson put in opened my eyes to what type of commitment is needed to succeed in whatever it is you are trying to improve. These guys are some of the hardest workers I've been around for sure. There was a lot more structure when I was at the Reds compared to my time in France, so being committed to doing a gym program that suits you or getting an individual review/ preview in each week is something that has been much more self-driven for players in France from my experience. So seeing what those guys did on top, of the team organized sessions has helped my footy here along with other aspects of life.

What was it that first inspired you to play rugby?

Well, I grew up playing league because that's what my dad and a few of my good friends when I was young played. I had the same reason for starting rugby union. At State High, rugby was offered and league wasn't, so I wanted to play with my mates.

Curtis makes a run during the 2013 season

What is your favourite rugby memory so far?

There's plenty of great memories so far. But my favourite rugby memory would have to be debuting for the Reds. I only got a couple of minutes off the bench, but we won the game. It was at home and I got to do it in front of family, so that was special.

What’s your favourite memory, of training at Ballymore?

Plenty of funny things happen in the changing rooms, but the best part about training at Ballymore was without a doubt the downtime between the morning and afternoon sessions. Getting to go grab lunch with your mates each day, playing cricket in the change rooms, playing pranks on each other, they were the best memories of training at Ballymore.

You were a part of the Australian Schoolboys team for three years, as well as a captain of the Australian U-20s side. Can you describe the feeling of putting on the Australian Jersey?

I never got to do it at a senior level but representing your country is obviously a very special thing, something I don't think anyone takes for granted at any level. It's a very hard thing to put into words, as athletes there are a lot of sacrifices made to perform at a high level, often from a young age, so to have those sacrifices pay off at each level of representation is rewarding and extremely humbling, knowing how many people would love to be were you and your teammates are. I can't imagine how proud our Wallabies feel every time they play.

Your grandfather, Dick Marks was a Wallabies centre. What’s the best rugby story you heard about him growing up?

Anyone who knows Pop knows he's a great storyteller and a very funny man! I actually just finished reading the book "A Dangerous Breed" which he helped write. It talks about the famous Wallabies team of 1963 that toured South Africa and beat them there twice. I think they are the only Australian team to have won at Ellis Park in over 85 years of trying. Worth the read!

Thanks heaps for taking time out. Especially during lockdown with two kids at home!

Thanks mate, anytime.

A Conversation with the Legendary Will Genia

Will Genia is an absolute Reds and Wallabies legend. He was a key part of the 2011 championship Reds season I’ve been focusing on lately and went on to play a massive 110 tests wearing the gold jersey for Australia, most of them, starting at number 9. He felt it was the right time to retire from international footy after last years World Cup (even after playing exceptionally well), but no doubt, the half-back still has much more rugby left in him!

This year, he has been playing in Japan for the Kintetsu Liners, (alongside his old teammate Quade Cooper!) I asked him about his season in Japan, before talking about his glory days with the Reds. With so much up in the air for Rugby (and all sports) in Australia… there’s nothing like reminiscing about great memories we all have.

I hope you enjoy reading our chat!

With Will at Ballymore Stadium (along with Samu and Tongan Thor), during Wallabies
training (ahead of their win against Ireland in June, 2018)

Hey Will, great to chat with you again. I’m glad to hear you and your family are all safe and well! I know it has been a while since we last spoke, but it’s always good to talk with you. Thanks for doing this interview via email!

To start with, how is being back in Brisbane?

I love being back in Brissy. It’s home for me and my family, so to be back here where both of our families reside is also special. Life as a rugby family means a lot of travel and living overseas, so anytime with family is always amazing. 

How was your season going in Japan before you had to come back? And also how good was it having Quade playing alongside you?

We had a great season at Kintetsu. We managed to win the competition and beat all teams by a minimum of 50 points. It was incredibly enjoyable and made so much better by how great the people in Japan are. Having Quade there with me, honestly made the transition so easy. He’s a great mate and we’ve played so much rugby together, that it’s all been so seamless. 

You started playing for the Reds in 2007, almost right out of school! Being part of the team for so long, you must have some great memories, care to share a few?

My first game for the Reds was in 2006. I love the Reds. I genuinely identify myself with being a proud Queenslander and there’s been some great memories made over the years. I’d say two stick out the most.

Firstly the entire 2010 season. It was possibly my most enjoyable season of rugby. We were written off and rubbished and to come and play an exciting brand of rugby and  re-establish and reinvigorate rugby in Queensland was so much fun to be apart of.

Secondly, obviously winning the title in 2011! It was a culmination of so much work and sacrifice and it was a great group of guys to do it with.

Who were some of your influences while playing for the Reds? Also, was there anyone that made you change the way you went about the game?

The biggest influence on my game would have to be Chris Lane. He was my 1st XV coach as well as my club coach for a year. He taught me the art of passing, but more than that, he just believed in me and was there to catch passes and kicks and talk rugby relentlessly. I’m so grateful for him. 

What’s your funniest memory from your time at Ballymore?

The funniest memory would be playing ping pong with Rod Davies, Ben Tapuai and Aiden Toua, until 3 in the morning, right before we played the Lions in Johannesburg in 2011. It was an intense game. So yeah, playing ping pong and drinking milk and milo until 3am. It was great fun and we had a good win the next day too.

What do you feel is the greatest achievement of your career so far?

I would say my greatest achievement in my career would be playing 100 tests for Australia. It was my dream to play and to have played 110 and started in over 90 of them means so much to me!

A huge thanks to Will for taking time to answer my questions, while in lockdown. Of course:

“Once a Red, always a Red!”

An Excellent Chat with (Quarantined) Eddie Quirk

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Eddie Quirk is one of my old mates from way back (I still wear the Reds shirts he gave me almost 10 years ago). He came through the Queensland pathway, debuting for the Reds back in 2010. He went on to play 6 seasons of Super Rugby with them and was of course a part of the squad during their 2011 championship year! Since then, he has played in Japan for the Sunwolves and is now playing for Top League club Canon.

While rugby is on hold almost worldwide, he has come home to Brisbane with his family. His wife and baby girl came over early and he made it in time for a hotel quarantine!

When I chatted with him using Facetime on Friday, he was in day 9 of 14, isolated in a hotel. He told us what it was really like, before sharing a lot of rugby memories. I hope you enjoy reading our chat!

You’re in day 9 of Quarantine! What’s it really like?

Yeah, day 9 in quarantine Tommy, it’s tough, but I think some other people are doing it tougher. I’ve got a lovely room here at the West End. The hardest thing is probably having no sun and fresh air. But look, that’s ok, it’s over in a few days. I can see into another building and I can see here are some young families that are doing isolation in similar rooms to me… 4 people in those rooms.  I get to work out, watch some movies and get on the phone and chat around. So it is tough, but it’s not the worst thing.

How were things in Japan, just before you came home?

Yeah, it was crazy because there was a lot of stuff happening with the Olympics that were still to go through and there were still uncertainties around our season in Top League, as well as the Corona Virus happening. Probably the hardest thing, being in Japan, was knowing that Australia was going into lockdown and there were some windows that we had to make to potentially get home, so my wife and baby came home ahead of me. So Japan, you were still very free, you were still able to go shopping, go to restaurants and get on trains and so forth, during that time. So it was good to have the freedom and good to be able to do normal rugby training, but there was still that element where I had to get to home to be with family, if things went really crazy, here in Australia. It was good to have that freedom, but I needed to get home.

How many rugby games have you watched in the last week?

(Laughs) A fair few! There’s been a lot of rugby league on and some union games that I’ve been able to watch, which has been good. I have looked up a few old school Reds games, including the British Lions game against the Reds and some old Sunwolves games, which have been good ones. I’ve kept the ones where I’ve been yellow and red carded out of it, they obviously weren’t good times! I love all sports, so I’ve also just been watching whatever on TV at the moment.

What’s you’re favourite Reds moment?

When I debuted for the Reds against the Highlanders, I was only 18, that’s stuck with me as one of my favourite ones. Unfortunately Higgers [Scott Higgenbotham] ended up breaking his leg almost in that one and I got to play 75 minutes on my debut, which is pretty unheard of. I think that’s the moment that sticks for me, obviously playing the British Irish Lions for the Reds [in 2013], beating the Tahs and getting the Bob Templeton cup and being a part of the Super Rugby championship that year! To be honest, it’s hard to pick one. I do still remember my debut very clearly.. I think there was a huge scrap, probably five minutes in… I think I got dusted up in that, that was pretty cool memory. That’s probably the one that sticks with me the most.

What are some things you’ve learnt from that 2011 championship year, that you’ve held on to ever since?

Probably the lead in. I played I think about 10 or 12 games, then got injured with my shoulder. Probably, some things I’ve taken out of that was just how fun that year was. It was a good feeling being part of a winning team week in, week out. I made some really good friendships that year. There were a lot of young guys and we all continued on, we were all a similar age and one of the youngest teams… probably just the camaraderie, we were always able to celebrate afterwards and go and get beers and go out for dinner afterwards, that was one of the most enjoyable years I’ve had with the Reds, that’s the main thing I took out of the year. Enjoyment.

I’m familiar with your rugby journey, but for the readers that don’t know... how did you end up playing rugby? And what’s your experience of the Queensland pathway?

That’s an awesome question. It’s a funny one, growing up with my brothers, we played every sport that was available, swimming, volleyball, waterpolo, athletics, rugby, basketball… every sport that was on offer at school, we did. I never had a sport that I was focused on. But then a friend that I had at Iona [College], Chris Ekins, he said they were low on some numbers down at Redlands rugby union for his U-15s side. We played Sunnybank and won and I just enjoyed it... the coach asked me to play the rest of the season. So that kickstarted my journey.

From there, I did what you could almost call the "traditional Queensland" rugby pathway to the Reds from then on, I played at Redlands growing up, then went to Brisbane State High, I met your good looking brother there... I played the first XV and then made the GPS “one” team and was lucky enough to represent Queensland schools and played in that championship… funnily enough, you wouldn’t believe it, I got red-carded in that tournament. I was legitimately given a lifeline to play for “Australia A” and captain that team against Fiji and they took three extra guys from that team to play Schoolboys and I was one of the three and was lucky enough to beat New Zealand in that final game in New Zealand - the only Aussie schools team to win overseas and I got man of the match in that game. So it was a very cool pathway - I was picked up by the Reds academy, I ended up playing for Australia for Sevens and doing tournaments overseas and after a year and a half of doing that, I made my debut with the Reds and then signed a full-contract.

So call it the “stock standard” pathway with all of those things in there, all the way up. I’ve been pretty lucky that that was the pathway. It’s changed a bit now, with kids coming out of school, but it was actually a really cool pathway and I’ve met a lot of cool people along the way, before my debut with Super Rugby. I think I’ve played 88 games in Super Rugby now, so it was a pretty cool way to go.

I haven’t thought about that for a while! That’s an awesome question.

I know it’s hard to tell what’s going to happen next, with rugby overall, but what are your personal goals from here on?

Yeah! There’s a lot happening in world rugby, a lot of competitions have been damaged, in the UK, in France, Ireland, Japan.. obviously Super Rugby’s taken a massive hit as well… from a personal point of view, I’ve got another year playing with Canon, so I definitely want to get back playing from this injury and back playing some really good rugby. I’ve had a dream of playing a hundred games of Super Rugby, so you know, that might be a goal in the future to go for, but probably for me, just to get back to playing consistent rugby, injury free. Also, I’m currently in the process of getting a Japanese passport, I’ve done my 5 years over there and I’ve been studying my Japanese pretty thoroughly, so for me, if there’s an opportunity to represent Japan, I’d love to.

They’ve given me a lot of time and put a lot of effort into me, so if I can give that back in a rugby sense, that would be massive for me to represent the country. They’ve really opened there arms to me - and hence why I’ve stayed there for 5 years. There’s been opportunities to come back to Australia over the last few years, but I just felt like I owed it to Japan to just stay on and pretty much build rugby there. You would have seen, during the World Cup, just how far it’s come. So yeah - get healthy for Canon - and hopefully take the pathway of representing Japan for any internationals and/or the World Cup and keep a job for the next few years. It’s tough times for everyone - I’d just be happy to get another job.

I’ve known you a long time Eddie and if you ever played for Japan, I’d definitely become a Japanese supporter! (When they’re not playing the Wallabies of course.)

Yeah I know every time I’ve brought you Sunwolves gear, you haven’t been too happy about it… but if I ever represent Japan, I’ll bring a jersey home to you. As long as you put it on and take it off, that’s all I care about.

I have to say, I had an awesome time in Japan, following the Reds over there in 2017. I still have a bunch of highlight pictures, posted online.

I remember seeing your posts online… I think you met one of our coaches, Tony Brown! I still regard Browny as one of the best coaches I’ve ever had, throughout my time. He just has such a smart rugby brain. When I saw the photo of you with Browny, I though “of course Tom’s gonna weasel his way in there with the greats”. But yeah. Was good to see you over there in Japan…

Thanks heaps Eddie for taking time to chat for my blog! Once a Red, always a Red.

(Laughs) yeah mate, for sure! 100%. I’ve been looking forward to this interview for a while. I was a bit nervous about the questions… but yes, there’s always a soft spot for the Reds, whenever they’re playing, I do watch and support them, for sure. It’s really cool seeing all these young guys coming through, like Zaccy Lucas and a couple of good Easts boys... Liam Wright and also Chrissy Sautia, who I was lucky enough to play with. I’ll always give my time back to the club and community rugby here, that’s one thing that I’ll do when I’m done and dusted.

Reminiscing with Reds and Wallabies Legend: Toutai Kefu

This week, I caught up with a former Red and Wallaby great, Toutai Kefu. To rugby fans that have been around a little while, Toutai needs no introduction! He was a Red for nine

seasons, from 1996 through to 2004.

After first being selected for Queensland at the age of 21 you could say he went on to become the definition of a champion Wallaby. Not only did he help the Wallabies win the Bledisloe Cup five times, he played an important part in helping us win our second World Cup in 1999! One of his most talked about Wallabies moments is the try he scored in 2001 in the 79th minute against the All Blacks, to help the Wallabies win the Bledisloe, for the fourth year in a row! (Watch that moment here and enjoy.) Since retiring, he's gone on to have a coaching career that he has really enjoyed so far.

Even during a time like this, I’m really glad Reds Rugby Rules can keep going, at least in some way. There’s no rugby happening at the moment and of course we don’t know what the future holds. But there’s still plenty of great rugby memories we can look back on and talk about!

After hearing that Toutai and his whole family are safe and well, we got right into it…

Q: You hung up your boots in 2010. How did you find retirement?

I think, walking away from the Wallabies jersey is never easy, but I think playing for the Reds and the Wallabies for eight or nine years, I thought I’d given everything and it was time to try something new overseas. It was an opportunity for our family to go and do something different.

And looking back at it now, the experience we had in Japan [as a coach] was absolutely fantastic and we wouldn’t change that for anything. I think the timing was about right, I’d spent a fair bit of time in the Reds and the Wallabies jersey, so to try something new and to give someone else a go, I think it was a good time to move on.

During your career, what do you think was your greatest achievement?

I think my greatest achievement was winning the ‘99 World Cup. Winning that, as a group of boys - as a group of men - and followed by that closely would be the Bledisloe cups, that would be my all time second. Probably one of the disappointing things would be never winning a Super Rugby tournament. But definitely the ‘99 World Cup would be my biggest achievement.

How many times in an interview did people ask you about ‘that try’, you scored in 2001?

Like many people, I've been using FaceTime to keep in touch

Yeah, nearly every interview. It’s the one thing that everyone reminds me of. That was the try to send John Eels off on a winning note and we also won the Tri-Nations and the Bledisloe I think.

But yeah, that’s the one thing I’m remembered for, first and foremost Tommy.

When you were injured, on average how many times were asked how long you would be out?

The biggest injury that I had was probably at the end of my career, when I missed the 2003 World Cup and I snapped my shoulder blade. That kept me out for 3 months.

Yeah, I’d get asked a lot! But a lot of people don’t know that people are asking that question.

How are you handling not having any rugby to watch or play?

I’m really struggling actually! I have only just come out of isolation. I was overseas around 2-3 weeks ago. The first week of my isolation, I was just watching a lot of old footy games, even games that I played in and that lasted me a week… I’ve watched a few Queensland Reds games… It’s getting boring in terms of rugby.. but it’s always good to reminisce about the old stuff.

You have coached in Japan, Tonga and Brisbane, what is the difference between coaching each of those teams?

Um... you need a translator! I coached in English and over time, my Japanese got better and I used bit of Japanese along the way. The language barriers probably the biggest hurdle.

You played at number 8 for most of your career, what did you enjoy most about playing in that position?

I had some really good coaches and they gave me a bit of free license to play the game. We always had a pretty simple structure, but if there was opportunity to break out of that structure, I could. I had a kind of all-round skill type of game, I could run, I could pass, use a bit of footwork, I could set play up, and I was given a license to do that, which was great. It suited the way I played the game.

This is more for rugby fans, like my mum, who are still learning about the game. Can you explain the different positions in the forward pack and how they work together?

So… usually the tight-five [numbers 1-5] are instrumental in winning the ball in set-piece*, so the scrum and the line-out are very important, that’s a time when you try and win possession of the ball. Locks are usually tall, because they’re pushing in the scrums and also jumping in the line-outs. The props [numbers 1 and 3] are usually short and stumpy blokes who win the ball at scrum time. And the back rowers [numbers 6,7 and 8] are usually guys who play on the ball, a bit like front-rowers in AFL, where they’ll chase the ball and try and win possession, during normal phase-play… I hope that helped a bit.

Thanks Toutai for your time and for sharing with us!

*Set-pieces include scrums, line-outs and technically, restarts.