A Conversation with Eddie Quirk

Since Reds Rugby Rules started, I’ve had an opportunity to interview a number of past Reds, particularly during 2020 while many players had some extra time on their hands! One of those “quarantine” interviews was Eddie Quirk, someone who represented Queensland between 2010-2015 and also happens to be a good friend of my family! I also caught up with him in 2018 in Tokyo, during his stint playing there. (You can read about my Tokyo trip here...)

So I was surprised and very happy to bump into him a few weeks back at Ballymore and was excited to be able to arrange another interview for this blog, this time in person! Fresh off some new coaching experience at his old stomping ground, I was glad to hear he believes he still has some great rugby left in him on the field, in the years to come.

Eddie is great to chat with and always good for a laugh and because we were so busy chatting, I forgot to get some pictures taken with him! I hope you enjoy some of the older pictures I found online though. (Sorry Ed, not all of them were my idea!!! My family loves you, as you well know.)

Hey Ed, thanks for coming and chatting today! It’s good to see your face back in amongst the Reds boys! 

Mate, no worries. It is good to be back! It’s a bit weird. I’ll give you the quick story of how it happened. I’ve been doing my coaching certificate in Japan and I was looking to do some experience when I got back home, whether it was a school or a club… and I got on to the Reds manager who was here when I was, he’s head of Australian rugby now and he says there’s an opportunity to come down and help at the academy. I said let's do it and I came down and all the Reds boys were here and I said “can I train”, so I’ve been here for five months of my break.

It’s weird to drive back to Ballymore to train again, after all those years. The times I’ve played the Reds, I’ve probably got in a bit of trouble, a lot of red cards and that, as you remember, it’s weird coming back and seeing all the guys that I’ve played, or punched or whatever, but that’s rugby.

Mugshot from the early Reds Days

How long does it take to do the coaching certificate?

So there’s level one and two that you do, that’s just online. I had the time in Japan, so I just smashed it out in four or five weeks. And then I’ve got to do a level three, which you’ve got to do in person, but it starts in mid-October and I’m gone. We’re just trying to tailor something and see if I can do it online, because I’ll be doing some coaching over in Japan too. But that takes a couple of months. Then, if you want to do level four, which is your more top-end international, Super Rugby coaching, but you’ve got to do your time first, so I don’t have to be doing that.

The last time we spoke, we were caught up for an official interview was through FaceTime while you were in quarantine. Now that things are easing up, how is rugby looking in Japan?

They don't call Eddie the Ginger Ninja for nothing

Last time we did get speak, I think I was on my seventh quarantine which was a bit sad. It seems like a life-time ago. That was a good interview and your Mum and Dads. As you know, you’ve traveled to Japan, they are very much about sticking with the rules.

They are still very tight with, you know, you’ve got to wear your masks, your dos and don’ts, they’re not letting in travellers at the moment either, my family can't come at the moment, you’ve got to go through a big visa process which takes 6-10 months and I’m already back by then.

Apparently they’re loosing up now, but I don’t know how rugby is looking over there, because they’re still so regimented with the way they are, with testing before games and training and all that type of stuff. So you’ll have to call me again around Christmas time, if you send me a present. You didn’t send me one last time.

What are some rugby lessons you’ve learnt from your time training and playing in Japan?

I think when I left, I was more of a “hard” player, you know, defence, breakdown and carry… I think one of the things I learnt going across to Japan was you’ve got to be a bit quicker, a bit more more skilful and I sort of had to tailor my game to both. But it was probably for the best for me, I played my best rugby when I was in Japan. I’ve actually been able to bring that back to the Reds, with drills. With Thorny, the way he used to play was very direct and hard, but I’ve been able to come in and teach the academy guys that there’s a couple of new ways to do things. And I’ve got to do it as well. I’ve still got to keep training and getting better. That’s probably the lesson that I learnt over in Japan.

Are there any differences from training in Australia compared to Japan.

The language! I actually know what they’re saying here! Nah - my Japanese is actually pretty good. The difference is, here in Australia, there’s a lot more freedom, to ask questions… not to “have words” but to have good discussions. In Japan, is very hierarchy-based, you know, you don’t speak up to the coach, he knows best. Some guys, you can see they want to express themselves, but they keep in their shell. That’s how business is run over there, that’s the world in Japan.

So probably the freedom of changing things on the go, where in Japan, if somethings organised and done, you’ve just got to go through with it, even if it’s not really worth it.

What are some current goals for yourself inside and outside of rugby? 

Give him the cheese sir!

One of my goals is just to keep playing good rugby, I do enjoy it. Coming back here to train sort of reinvigorated my passion to play Super Rugby again, I don’t think I’m done - I’m thirty. And I’ve had some good chats to Thorny - so I’d love to come back at the back end of my season to the Reds and be a part of their squad. That would be a fairy tail, but obviously there’s a lot of details to go into that. But that would be one of my goals, to come back here to play.

And outside of rugby… my wife’s running a business here and I’m slowly learning that. I’m going to do some more study as well… and just come home and be a good dad. That’s my main goal! Because I leave for so long, I just try to interject myself and make a good mark on my kids when I’m home. That’s one of my goals and my focus when I’m home, just to slot back into society at home.

That’s a good segue-way to my next question… You’ve got a beautiful family here. What are some of your favourite ways to prioritise them and spend time with them when your in Aus?

That is a great question mate. So my wife, obviously running the business, she has a lot more freedom now to go to work, into the office. Where when I’m gone, she has to juggle both, which is really hard on her.

How I juggle the time is - when I’m home for the 5 months, not that it’s “bad”, I do see people, but only every now and them, because I’m fully entrenched at home… in the backyard wrestling with the kids, or anything I can do. Whether it’s taking them out for a coffee, or the movies… I’m always at the park with them… I just try to make my time with them really valuable. I’m happy to do everything… I’m doing dinners and baths and bedtimes and books and that’s how I spend my time. I do go out and see family and mates and have beers, but my priority when I’m home is - as long as the kids are happy, I’m happy.

What’s your favourite post-training meal?

Couple of beers, Tom. Um… I don’t know… I cook a lot at home, I do this steak with mushroom sauce, on rice or pasta, or I cook myself a big carbonara… I’m a big pizza man too, I love pizza. Honestly, it is the best thing ever. I could happily just get a big pepperoni pizza everywhere and I’d be like “this is unreal.”

Thank you for taking the time to chat Ed. Great to see you back at the Reds!

Love you mate. I’ve always got time. Let’s do another catch up when I’m back in Hiroshima and I’ll show you around my apartment. Hopefully we can get there for a gig. That’s what you do… You’ve travelled more than anyone. I know!

2012 CLEO bachelor of the year

A Conversation with Queensland Lock, Brother Ryan Smith

Right before training this week, I was glad to finally interview Queensland Reds lock Ryan Smith. After cementing his spot in the Reds starting line up this year, he was selected to play for “Australia A” against Samoa and Fiji, before returning to close out a big club rugby season for Brothers. Along with a number of his Reds team-mates, Ryan is in the midst of a tough finals series, with a knock-out clash with Uni (University of Queensland) this Sunday!

As well as chatting about club rugby, we talked about everything Reds/rugby related, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading our conversation!

Hey Ryan, thanks for chatting today! I’m very excited that you’ve signed with the Reds for next year.

Cheers Tommy, pretty excited for another 2 years, as Wilson walks past giving me a bit of crap*… Always keen to get another few in!

This is Reds Rugby Rules, but of course it’s club finals time at the moment! Congratulations to you and the Brothers on the win last weekend!

Cheers mate, it was obviously a pretty tough one. We had a pretty long game, not as long as the Wests/UQ one, that game went for about 120 minutes! But our one was pretty good, getting it all the way down to 80 minutes there. Lucky to get that one, but we’ve sort of done it the hard way by finishing in third [on the table], so we’ve got to win two games in a row to make it through to the grand final.

How are you and the team feeling, heading into the game against UQ this Sunday? 

Yeah really good, we had a good training session earlier this week. We usually play on a Saturday, then into this finals stuff, the way it sort of works is that we’ve been playing on Sundays. So it’s been bit of a disjointed week and our game was a bit closer to our Tuesday session than it would usually be. So we are training here at Norths at the moment, as the field at brothers is out of action for a little while. The training was a little bit lighter on the Tuesday so it’s given us a good opportunity to get through a bit more knowledge and a few different plays, so that’s been good. The boys are gelling well and looking to put through a complete performance on the weekend.

I’ve enjoyed watching you play for the Reds this year. What’s been a highlight of the 2022 Super Rugby season?

Cheers! Yeah, I’ve enjoyed playing it as well. I think, even though we didn’t win any of those games against the kiwi guys, I really enjoyed those games. Especially those two very last ones against the Crusaders, obviously playing against Sam Whitelock and Scott Barrett. They’re some pretty experienced locks there, it was was good to sort of test myself against those guys.

I also enjoyed all the home games at Suncorp. That Fiji Drua game was pretty awesome with the was the crowd was. I’m enjoying most games, if not all of them, at the moment!

Congrats on making the Australia A squad, earlier this year! What was your highlight of that experience, over in Fiji?

Um yeah! That was an awesome tour. I think, besides the rugby stuff, that was great, even the Fiji game

They’ve put in some good strong performances against even the Wallabies in recent years, so for us to put in a strong performance, even as an “A” squad was pretty good.

Away from the rugby specific stuff, I think that kind format, where you come together as a group shortly before the competition, was pretty interesting. That’s something I haven’t done since I was fifteen, playing in those “rep” sort of squads. To have sort of a “misfit” group, as such, come together was pretty exciting, and test ourselves, so that was a pretty cool experience.

Looking to 2023, what are some things you are looking to implement in the coming season of super rugby?

I think this year I noticed my playing weight was down a bit and my fitness was where it should be and where I was playing my best footy. So even over these next couple of weeks, we’ve got a good opportunity to “a” get back in the gym, but also “b” work on that fitness stuff. I’m pretty keen to be at a nice pretty nice light weight, about that 114, 115 sort of weight is what I’m happy with at the minute. I’m keen to keep chipping away and then, bring on the kiwis when we get to play them. Hopefully we’ll put some good scores in against them!

Have you got any tips for young aspiring locks looking to improve their game?

That set-piece sort of stuff, working around the scrum, the line-out, even the break-down can be seen as a set-piece for locks, being able to secure the ball for your team and even disrupt the opposition ball is pretty crucial. I think the defence stuff is massive, being really accurate around your tackle, being accurate with your carry, you might not make too many big breaks (laughs), I don’t make many big breaks, you might only get three carries a game, but you don’t want to be turning over one of those, that’s not a good conversion rate there. 

What are some of your current goals, both inside and outside of rugby?

Outside of rugby, I’ve just got a bit of work to do on my house, I’ve been putting up a shed, so I’ve got to finish off that… and with the rugby stuff, I’m pretty keen to try and get a Super championship under our belt with the Reds… and as a person I’m keen to keep pushing for higher honours and be selected for a Wallabies camp of some sort in the future.

 

Who have been some of your rugby heroes?

Growing up as a kid, like most guys my age I loved watching Quade Cooper come through, it’s not a position specific one, so much… and then after that great try for the Wallabies, I was always a Radike Samo fan. He’s pretty abrasive around the park. I’ve met him since and he’s a really lovely bloke. He’s a pretty good bloke to model yourself off of, just in being a nice bloke on and off the field.

Have you enjoyed being an indigenous ambassador for the Queensland Reds this year?

That’s a great question! Being non-indigenous, it’s been a bit of a different role, it’s really opened my eyes to the indigenous culture. I’ve been trying to get into it as much as possible. I just did a presentation out at Clontarf about two weeks ago and went out to Cherbourg and had a bit of a chat with some of those young kids out at the State school there.

I’m really enjoying my time and trying to get to know more about indigenous culture and it’s been a great experience so far.

Finally, what’s your favourite post-training food?

My instagram is full of my “Macros 4 U” posts. I’m pretty happy with those meals, it’s pretty easy to just slap ‘em in the microwave, but I’ve been on the salmon and rice recently, as I was saying, trying to keep that weight down.

So not too many trips through KFC lately unfortunately at the moment, but during off-season there’s a couple of weeks that I might tempt myself. We’ll see what happens (laughs).

Thanks for chatting Ryan. All the best for this Sunday, may the best club win!

Thanks mate! Appreciate your time and go Brothers!

*Harry Wilson walks past and throws some banter in Ryans direction.

Brothers will front up against UQ this Sunday at 3:10pm at Bond University!

A Conversation with Queenslands Wilson Blyth

I this week, I had the opportunity to interview Queensland Lock, Wilson Blythe! Right after training, we caught up and chatted about his experiences with the Reds so far as well as his club team - Bond University (the final game for the regular club season is this weekend!)

I always love catching up with new members of the team and was reminded that the future looks very bright for the Reds! I hope you enjoy reading our conversation as much as I enjoyed interviewing him!

Thanks for taking the time to come and chat with me today!

Yeah, of course! Happy to be here, keen to have a chat.

How has your experience been so far being around the Reds? 

Yeah, really good. I was a bit part-time during the last pre-season, I wasn’t full-time, but it was a good experience coming into this year.

After doing pre-season part-time I went down and did a bit of time with the academy as the season kicked off, then a few injuries happened and I was brought in as cover in the wider squad. So yeah, it was an awesome experience last year and should be a good experience moving forward into this season.

What have been some of the highlights so far for you in the Reds team? 

Definitely being a part of a professional sporting program has been a cool pretty insight - just the programs and the level of expertise they have, coaches, staff and players, has been eye-opening and a pretty cool experience. I went to Auckland last year which was pretty cool as well… so a bit of travelling!

Since the Super Rugby season finished, what has training looked like?

Fortunately we’ve had the club season just after Super Rugby finished, so I’ve been in that primarily. That’s kept the fitness going and the body ticking over.

And also here, we’ve been going with the Reds academy, getting into the gym and getting a bit of size heading into pre-season kicking off in a couple of weeks.

What do you love most about your club Bond University?

Yeah, I love playing for Bond. We’re just wrapping up the season, unfortunately we couldn’t quite make it to the finals -we’ve got our last game against Easts this week at home. What I love about the team - they’re just a good group, a real tight group of players and coaches and everyone just sort of has a good time and gets around each other. I really enjoy the atmosphere that we bring there. It’s a good program and a good team.

What have been some key takeaways from your club rugby experience this year?

I think just playing week in, week out has been pretty beneficial for me, I had a few injuries on and off over the last couple of years and covid was a bit of a distraction in the middle there. So I think just getting some solid game time and games stringed back to back has been really beneficial for me personally and playing first grade has been unreal. We played against James O’Connor over the weekend and also Harry Wilson and a few of the other Reds boys, Hamo, Hoops and Smithy, so playing against that calibre of players has been pretty cool to get to do in club rugby. It’s been an unreal season and definitely I’ll take that experience moving forward.

Who was it that inspired you to play rugby?

I’ve always grown up playing rugby... my dad played in Sydney for a bit and in Newcastle... Me and my brother [fellow Bond Uni and Red team-mate Angus] both played growing up, it was something we always did and enjoyed doing as a family... I made some rep teams and stuff and really just enjoyed it and kept at it. My dad’s been a bit of an inspiration, as he was a player, but it’s just something we’ve all loved doing. It’s been a huge social experience for us, we’ve met so many people through playing rugby that have become friends, it’s been unreal.

What’s life like for Wilson Blyth outside of rugby? 

Um... I’m pretty quiet, I don’t do too much. I like to have my downtime by myself and with my partner at home... I started playing a bit of golf this year, so that’s my hobby at the moment that I’m working on.

But overall, I love going home or getting down to the beach and having a swim, I’m pretty quiet outside of rugby, I just like to switch off and have a bit of down-time.

What is your favourite post-training session meal? 

I’m a pretty big Mexican fan, so nachos maybe... I’m trying to put on weight at the moment, so there’s been some pretty good meals recently - so home-made burgers... pasta’s been a go-too recently, as well.

Thanks for chatting today, Wilson. All the best for pre-season, heading into next year.

Yeah, absolutely, thanks for having me Tom. It’s been a pleasure.

A Conversation with Suliasi Vunivalu

This week I was given the opportunity to interview Suli Vunivalu and ask the code-crosser himself about his experience so far at the Reds. I’d been keen to chat with him down at Ballymore for some time. As it worked out, I finally got to sit and talk with him, up at the Sunshine Coast, while training with the Wallabies! Obviously, the Wallabies are preparing to take on England for what’s set to be a spectacular three game series.

I’m glad that Suli could be in the mix for the upcoming series. If you ask me, I agree with Dave Rennie that he has awesome potential to do great things with the Wallabies. Although today, I have to admit, I was more interested in his rugby journey and how he’s been finding life based at Ballymore :-D. I hope you enjoy reading our conversation!

Hey Suli, thank you so much for taking the time to chat today.

You’re welcome, Tommy.

This is Reds Rugby Rules, so I’d like to ask you all about your experience with the Reds.

But first of all, how has the week gone so far, with the Wallabies up here at the Sunshine Coast?

Yeah the weeks been good. We had a pretty tough couple of sessions last week and this week. I think our last tough session is on Saturday, so everyone’s looking forward to a lighter week next week.

I’m glad you’re here and I hope you have an awesome time training with the team.

Thank you Tom.

I’d like to rewind back to 2019. What was it that inspired you to make the move to Queensland, and also to rugby union?

Obviously, I’m from rugby background. I started playing league in 2014 when I went over to the [Melbourne] Storm. Me and Nelson at the Storm, we both have a rugby background and we’d always chat and say when we’ve achieved our goals in Rugby League, we’d try to jump back into Rugby Union. So, lucky enough, we won two premierships, played under Craig Ballamy, played with the big three, that was our goals… we played with Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk. So that’s a move that I’ve completed there and there’s another goal to complete, wearing the yellow jersey.

What do you love most about being based at Ballymore?

I like the setting and I’m looking forward to the new building next year. It’s a good ground. We haven’t really trained much this year at the main ground. Everything is closer together, yeah it’s a good set up there. 

Suli with fellow Reds Tate McDermitt who has been in his element this week

Our 2022 season had some up’s and downs. What were some highlights of this years Super Rugby season?

Yeah. We started pretty well this season, especially with the Australian teams. But we just didn’t find our second gear when we came across the Kiwi teams. We had a couple of good games, but we just didn’t find the first gear that we had in the Aussie Super comp. I’m looking forward to next year and seeing what the new squad can bring and hopefully we can finish off the way we started.

I’m looking forward to 2023 already! I’ll be there to support.

The Crusaders put up a fight in the quarter-final. Our team fought hard though and I was proud of everybody.

What were some things you learnt from the teams trip to Christchurch?

Yeah. We knew it was going to be a really tough game against the Crusaders in their home town. Thorny brought in the Queensland mentality, that Queensland spirit. We had a couple of league boys send us a couple of videos and our theme that week was based on the State of Origin. So we watched a couple of clips of Queenslanders running in, how they play aggressive and that’s how we played the first 60 minutes. But if we played that in the last 20 minutes, we would have had them. 

I love hearing about peoples rugby journeys. What inspired you to first start playing? Also, how old were you when you started playing rugby?

I actually was a soccer player growing up. I went to an Indian school in Fiji. After school we’d usually play “Fiji touch”. I think at the age of 5, I started to watch my dad play rugby and at the age of 13, I told my dad I want to go to rugby school. Lucky enough I got a scholarship to go to New Zealand and everything went up from there on. My dad was actually a massive brumbies supporter back then. That was the Latham and Mortlock era.

What do you love to do that has nothing to do with rugby?

Um, I love a sleep (laughs), especially after a big day like today. Also, I love watching movies… going to the cinema… There’s a few new movies coming out soon. I think Black Adam, with the Rock is coming out in a couple of weeks, so I’m looking forward to watching that.

Thanks heaps for taking time out of a busy week to chat.

All good! Thanks very much Tommy.

I, for one, am very glad that you’re playing rugby union. I think it’s a good fit for you. Let’s go Wallabies! But also, let’s go Reds, in 2023. 😁😁😁

That’s it! Thank you so much for coming Tommy!

It was great seeing some of the other players, including Harry Wilson, James Slipper
(my first ever Reds Rugby Rules interviewee!) and fellow Wallaby Scott Sio.

Don't forget the first Wallabies test match against the Brits kicks off on Saturday July 2nd (in Perth). Full details about the series can be found here. Thanks to the Wallabies for letting me visit!

It's Finals Footy Time!!! Reds to Face Crusaders in Christchurch

I couldn’t be more excited... It’s Super Rugby finals season and the Reds are playing this Friday!!! At 5:05pm (our time) we play the Crusaders once again and even though the New Zealanders are the second ranked team on the table, I strongly believe an upset is possible. If you think I’m a biased fan, then consider that the Reds won the second half of last weeks game against the same team, in their final regular season game.

They’ve been camped out in Christchurch, New Zealand for the whole week preparing and if I know anything about the team, I know they fully intend on playing to win, no matter who they’re playing against. As the Reds coach Brad Thorne often says, if they leave it all on the field, he will be happy; and if things click like we’ve seen in the past, a win is definitely possible.

I haven’t managed to catch up with anyone on the team this week, so I thought I’d put together a list of past interview links, so you can learn more about this weeks squad.

To the Reds, all the best! I believe in the current squad. Let’s make this a night to remember.

Get to know some of this weekends squad by clicking on past interviews:

Jordan Petaia

I’m expecting Jordan to be one of the stand-outs this week. The Crusaders will be focused on trying to shut him and the wingers down, but I’m expecting dazzling plays that we’ve seen from him in the past. Look out for “Air Jordan” and Suli Vunivalu whenever the ball is airborne.

Check out my 2018 interview and my 2021 chat with him.

Tate McDermitt

A stellar half-back and leader of the team, Tate is still one of the Reds shining stars. He’s a fan favourite for a reason. I love his passion and drive to see results. Expect to see him leave it all on the field tomorrow night.

I caught up with him at the start of this season while he was in covid isolation. Check out my 2018 interview here as well.

Lawson Creighton

Lawson had big shoes to fill when James O’Connor was injured. I think he’s risen to the task, while playing with his own unique style. 

Check out my 2018 interview with him, when he was a Brothers star, on his way to becoming a Red.

Jock Campbell

I have a lot of love for the way this guy plays. Recently, he’s had a number of tries to show for his effort. With great support from the wingers this week, anythings possible.

You can read our great 2019 conversation here.

Harry Wilson

I’ve loved watching this mans rise in rugby and I believe he’s only getting better and better. He’ll be a force for the mighty Crusaders to reckon with tomorrow, for certain.

I’ve caught up with Harry a few times - here at Brothers Rugby Club and here at Ballymore.

Feao Fotuaika

With Taniela Tupou injured, Feao has risen mightily to the task. The forward pack left their mark on the field in Christchurch last week and I think they’ll do even better and will have gotten even more used to the New Zealand conditions, this weekend.

Catch my 2019 interview with him during his rookie season.

Seru Uru

I loved catching up with Seru just a few short weeks ago. His journey from Fiji to Reds star is inspiring. Click here to enjoy our great chat.

The Reds kick off against the Crusaders this Friday (2nd June) at 5:05pm.

From London to Brisbane: Tom Lynagh's Journey to the Reds

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!

Tom seemed very much at home at Ballymore

Hey Tom, Thanks for taking the time to catch up today!

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!!!

A Conversation with Reds Lock Seru Uru

Earlier today, I had an awesome conversation with one of my favourite players, Seru Uru. Since moving from Melbourne to Brisbane in 2019, he hit his stride playing for Easts and Brisbane City in the NRC, before earning his Reds contract ahead of the 2020 Super Rugby season.

With a work ethic like his, I have a feeling that Seru is only going to get better in the coming years. I'm glad he brought his talents to the Reds and that he calls Brisbane home!!!

Hey Seru, thank you for taking the time to come and chat today. How much are you looking forward to the Reds first game against the Moana Pasifika?

Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it! It will be a tough I would say and a good game aswell.. It’ll be our last game here in Brisbane, I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been watching them play over the last few weeks and they have been playing really good. They’re big boys, some big hits and some good ball carriers, so I’m really looking forward to it. 

What are some key things the Reds are working on at the moment?

The key things that the Reds are working on is our decision making around the park, our inside defence, always protecting the inside shoulder. Attack wise, our set plays around the park and our north coast has been better over the last few weeks that we have been playing, we’ve been improving because there have been a few games that when we come to the north coast we give away the ball easily, so we’ve been working hard on that. On the past few games you would have seen we’ve come up with a few tries. the boys are controlling and getting away with points which is good. A few other things would be our kick off chase, adding pressure on the kick off. That’s what the boys have been working at really hard.

What do you love the most about playing for the Reds?

One thing I love the most about the Reds is the boys! They’re just a good bunch of blokes, everyone gets along with each other easily. On and off the field, everyone is tight. You can see on the field where everyone is working for each other, if there is a problem, everyone will come and pick you up and boost you up, that’s one thing I really love at the Reds. It’s just the boys.

What’s been your rugby journey so far, and how did you end up playing in Queensland?

Yeah my rugby journey so far… I finished school back in 2016 in Fiji. I played in 20s for Fiji for 3 years, I was still in school in 2015 and I joined the Fiji 20s in 2016 and then 2017 I moved to Australia Melbourne. I came and joined a team called a team called Island Breeze”, it’s at “Youth with a Mission”. That brought me over here to Australia. That’s when I started with Box Hill, down in Melbourne and started my career there. I did a few training sessions with the Melbourne Rebels just to get a feel for what it is like to play at the top level, it was really good, it gave me a boost. I kept it in my mind and thought yes I wanted play super rugby. I stayed in Melbourne 2017, I was apart of the NRC Melbourne Rebels squad and then in 2018 I moved clubs, I moved to Power House, but I didn’t get picked for the NRC squad.

Then there was an agent who gave me a call here and told me to start again here. I joined Easts straight away, my first season there was at 2019 and from there everything just happened. I had a good season with Easts and got picked for the NRC and after 3 games I got signed to the Reds

I was so pumped and so emotional at the same time, I couldn’t believe it - that things happened like that in one year. Moving from Melbourne to here I thought it would take a bit longer, but everything just happened. I was so happy about it. And now, everything is just falling into place, I’m getting more game time, I’m getting more mature in the game, I’m learning heaps of things every day

Especially playing alongside all of the boys here that I used to watch on the TV at home and playing the other teams around Australia and in New Zealand, it’s a good experience.

What do you miss most about being away from Fiji?

The thing I miss the most is family. I really miss my family. I moved here by myself, left everyone there. It’s pretty hard because last time I went home was 2019, because of covid. But hopefully I’ll go back this year or next year, we’ll see how it goes. And the other thing is food (laughs). I miss the food back home. 

I’m really glad you’ve made it to Queensland and that you’re in our team.

I’m really happy I joined the Queensland Reds. There’s no other club like this one. I really enjoy it here and being here in Brisbane. The weather just reminds me of being back home. When I go around, I hardly know everyone, but they’ll come up to you like “hey Seru”. (Laughs.)

What would be a few tips that you would give to young, up and coming back row flankers?

Feedback I would say to the kids growing up is always listen to your Mum and Dad, keep working hard and never give up. There’s heaps of opportunities around here. If you don’t get a crack on the first one, don’t give up. Because for me to get here, I’ve been through a lot (laughs). I’ve struggled to get here. But never give up, always keep pushing yourself. Don’t fall into the wrong crowd. It’s good to have friends, but just choose the good friends you have. But yeah, always keep pushing yourself and listen to your parents.

If you weren’t playing rugby, what would you be doing?

When I was in school I was doing automotive engineering and then after school, I just focused on rugby. But if it wasn’t rugby, I would have been doing that. Or, before I moved here to Australia, I was recruited to be a prison officer. I went to an interview, and I got the job. Then I had to choose that job, or coming to Australia, and I chose to come here.

What are your current goals, inside and outside of rugby?

My current goal in rugby is to don the Wallabies jersey, that’s a goal and a dream. Outside of rugby, I just want to do some more studies for life after rugby. I want to settle here in Brisbane after rugby.

Last question - favourite post-game snack?

(Laughs.) Favourite post-game snack… the snakes. The lollies-snakes. Heaps of sugar, it gives you that boost (laughs).

Thats Seru for taking time out to chat!

Thank you very much for having me!

The Reds play the Moana Pacifika, home at Suncorp Stadium, this Friday!!!!!!! It's the final home game of the season, so make sure you come along!!!!! I can't wait....