Last week, as well as chatting with Reds lock Seru Uru, I also was lucky to catch up with Reds new recruit Tom Lynagh. His family name is familiar to many rugby fans, as his father is one of the great Wallabies. However, Tom is focused on forging his own path. He was raised in London, but at the end of 2021 he travelled “home” to Queensland, Australia!
I really enjoyed catching up with him. With players like Tom around, the Reds will be in good stead for years to come!
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| Tom seemed very much at home at Ballymore |
No worries. Thanks for having me!
What was the number one thing that inspired you to move from England to Australia?
I think watching the team develop over the last couple of years with Thorny and Josh and seeing the success they had, I just wanted to be a part of it.
How have you found the Queensland weather so far?
I’ve loved the weather so far. Fortunately for me it hasn’t been too hot over there the last couple of months, it’s been a bit English, I’d say. Lots of rain and not so much sunshine.
But I’ve loved the weather. I used to go across to Italy quite a lot in the summer and the heat and humidity is very similar to what it’s like over here in the summer.
Have any of the boys had anything to say about your English accent?
Ah - I’m trying to get rid of it. Some of the boys have told me to keep it so they can keep on teasing me about it.
But I’m trying to get rid of the accent mate (laughs). I want to be Australian.
What have been some highlights since you’ve been based here at Ballymore?
There have been quite a few. The one that sticks out to me is the trial match against the Western Force. It was my first ever opportunity to play rugby in Australia and I was fortunate enough to play the second half against the guys. Playing with some Wallabies on my team and playing against a few Wallabies too was a pretty cool experience.
Other highlights include just being around all the boys at Ballymore all day. I’m pretty fortunate to do what I love for a living and fortunate enough to be around some great guys.
Are there any positions you like playing, other than fly-half?
Um I haven’t played too many positions other than fly-half, really. I played scrum-half once and I hated that, because there was too much running. And then I also played full-back once or twice. But I prefer playing fly-half. You get to touch the ball a lot more and control the game from where your playing on the pitch.
How old were you when you first started playing rugby?
I was 5 years old when I first started playing rugby. I started playing for a club called Richmond Rugby Club, over in England - I believe it’s the second oldest rugby club in the world, dating back to 1861. I started playing there when I was a kid, I played there until I was 13, but from 6 onwards I’ve been playing at school too, so I played with school on Saturdays and club on Sundays.
We all know your dad was a great rugby player. Although I’m sure you’re intent on carving your own path. That said, what’s something your dad has said to you lately that’s helped you on your rugby journey?
Yeah. I’m fortunate to have a dad, well, who he is. He’s obviously had his own career and success’s. He’s always been very much like, you know, “don’t worry about me, create your own path, do your own thing, just don’t listen to what anyones got to say…”
One piece of advice he’s given me recently has been “keep your head down, just keep ticking along, get your minutes, keep things simple, don’t try and overcomplicate stuff and do everything yourself, just trust the guys around you, because they’re capable of doing good stuff.”
Is it true that you also played soccer and cricket at high school? Also, what’s your second favourite sport?
Yeah I grew up playing soccer and cricket in England. Soccers obviously huge sport over in England and every kid grows up wanting to be a soccer player. But yeah, I stopped playing soccer when I was 16 and I kept on playing cricket until I finished school at 18. So cricket would be my second favourite sport. I played it with a lot of my good mates and we had quite a good team, so that made it even more enjoyable.
What’s your favourite thing to do that has nothing to do with rugby?
Um, I quite enjoy playing a bit of golf, it’s also something I grew up playing with my dad, he got me into it when I was about 12, I think. I enjoy playing golf.
You walk around the course and you’ve got a free mind when your playing. It takes a lot of stresses off life. You can play it with some of your mates, whether it’s casual or competitive. It’s a good thing to do in your free time.
The Reds play against the Crusaders for their final game of the regular season, tomorrow (Friday May 27th) at 5:35pm!!!
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