Wise Words from a Playing and Coaching Legend: Michael Hayes

This week, I have a special treat for all my Reds Rugby Rules readers, a great interview with experienced player and coach Michael Hayes. I met Michael last year while he was coaching the Queensland Women’s Super W. (Since Super W began last year, it’s been awesome following and catching up with the QLD Women’s XV team and watching Australian women’s rugby take off.) Interviewing Michael last year didn’t quite work out and now, he finds himself at Norths, the club I wanted to visit and profile next!

So this week doubles as a look back at last years Super W season and Part 2 of my Norths Rugby Club interview series (click here for Part 1.) Michael’s enthusiasm and passion for rugby is extremely contagious - plus he shares lots of wisdom and knowledge here for all rugby players and coaches.

I hope you enjoy reading one of my best interviews yet!

Hi Michael, we didn’t get a chance to do an interview last year, so I’m glad it’s finally happened! Happy to be catching up with you at Norths!

Yeah, absolutely mate.

If it’s ok, I’d like to back-track a little bit, to the Super W season last year. What is your best memory from Queensland’s 2018 season?

Do you know what, I’ll tell you what, one of my most treasured memories was when they kicked the penalty goal (New South Wales) to win the game. And it was purely because, it was the end of what I thought was an outstanding rugby campaign, for women’s rugby. I sat there and I saw the ball go through the posts and I went: Well there you go. Fair enough… we’ve lost a titanic game of rugby where I thought we were probably the better team and yet these girls are probably going to celebrate with each other. There’s the “agony and the ecstasy” and 20 minutes later, they were holding each other and hugging each other and I thought to myself “that’s special.” That’s my most treasured memory. I let out a big sigh and thought “that’s the end of a magnificent campaign.”

That’s an interesting answer. Especially for someone who’s cousin is Grace. [New South Wales captain.]

That’s right. Yeah I know Gracie really well. She’s at Scotts [College] and I was down there a couple of times last holidays because I did some stuff at Scott’s college - leadership stuff… and I had a great chance to catch up with Gracie then too.

She’ll be one of my interviewees for this blog soon!

Is she? Well, you give her my regards.

I’ve loved supporting the Women in the Super W campaigns. Travelling down for the final was fun, tough way to end though. Thanks for your role in the campaign!!

(Laughs) Do you know what? We loved having you as a part of the campaign too. It was able to put women’s rugby on another platform. It’s a really great step, the way we can promote the Queensland women and just women’s rugby in general.

As a result, you can see what the IRB’s done, they’re really getting behind women’s rugby, enormously. It’s got a huge platform now. So to have yourself as a part of getting women on that stage, it was wonderful as well mate.

Some of the women's team at Norths. A couple of them were injured,
but still showed up at training to support

And how did I feel about the loss? It’s just a game of sport at the end of the day. And with it, comes the agony and the ecstasy… and the lessons you learn from that are great character lessons that hold you in good stead, for life.

Queensland’s women’s rugby has benefitted from your 35 years of coaching experience. What brought you to Norths?

Mate, that’s very very kind of you to say that. What brought me to North was an opportunity to teach some girls, who’ve never picked up a ball in their life the opportunity to enjoy what I enjoy about rugby. Camaraderie, becoming part of a team, working collectively and giving the girls an opportunity to enjoy the social aspect of rugby too. Cos it’s such a great family. Kids, adults, men, women, it doesn’t matter, rivalries… we’re just a part of this huge international family, which I love with a passion, because mate… I’ve played overseas, my eldest sons about to go and play overseas… and if you’ve got a pair of boots, it’s a passport to the world, rugby. You can go anywhere mate, that’s the beauty of it. So you know what? It’s just another chance to give back, that’s why I took up the job at North.

What do you love the most about this great club?

I’m sort of only involved with the women. But it’s the fact that it’s given these girls a family outside there own families. There’s young girls, 17, 18, 35 year old women here and one of my gracious experiences from coaching at Super W was seeing the love for the game, amongst women. And I see the same thing here at Norths. So, it just gives them an extended family. That’s the beauty of seeing the girls as a part of Norths. 

I’d love to hear about your rugby journey. When did you start playing the game? Also, what led you to start coaching when you were 20 years of age?

Geez mate, you’ve done your homework! You are brilliant.

I grew up in rural New South Wales. My Dad was a rugby player, but we didn’t have rugby in our town… a little town called Crookwell and Goulburn was the nearest town. I was seven years old and my Dad said, “do you want to go and play rugby?” He said “I won’t even buy you a pair of boots, but you can play your first game in your riding boots - your RMs” (which are 3 sizes two big) and he said “if you like it, I’ll buy you a pair of boots”. So we drove from Crookwell to Goulburn. I played for Goulburn Norths, my very first team and I loved it.

My rugby journey… it’s amazing, on Facebook at the moment there’s this “10 photo” thing going and the photos I’m seeing come up are incredible. I was thinking “how am I gonna find 10 photos?” But the ones that people have sent me… I’ve played in Dublin, Argentina, in New South Wales Country, I’ve played in Brisbane, Sydney, I’ve toured New Zealand, I’ve played in Fiji…

To me, my rugby journey has been one of following a game that, like I said with the girls, has given me an extended family and I love what this game can do. I think it’s one of the greatest character builders available, for young boys and girls.

Michael coaching his squad at Norths Rugby Club, Wooloowin

In todays society, we lack this capacity to have a rite of passage and rugby gives kids a rite of passage. Because it’s one of the few games where, you’re gonna feel discomfort, you’re gonna feel pain, you’re gonna get hurt, but you know what, you’re doing it for 14 other people. And they’re doing the same for you. Now that’s a pretty special thing. If you’re prepared to put yourself in that position, to allow 14 other people in a game of sport, that’ll do it for me.

That’s what rugby does and I say that to a lot of other kids too. It’s one of the few sports where you can tackle someone that doesn’t have the ball, you can present and exert yourself in a way that young boys are struggling with these days. There’s not really an opportunity to be masculine anymore and rugby can do that for you. For women, it has that same quality where you can be part of a team whereby your sacrificing, sometimes your own well-being to allow people to have a game of sport. That’s why I love rugby.

It’s a fantastic rite of passage for young people, but also it’s so unbelievably character building. I love rugby.

And you know what? To me, sitting with you, is a humbling experience. Because, you’re also passionate about the game. And that’s what inspires me mate.

Mate that’s awesome, great words. What advice would you give young players coming through the ranks, particularly to women?

Righto. My advice is this. Skills, skills, skills. And I’m reflecting upon my own journey. I was a country kid who always prided himself on his fitness, and you know, going to the gym. And I wish I spent more time, or as much time on the skill components, as I did in the gym. Because my boys who now play, have got more talent in their little finger, than I have.

As a Dad and a mentor to them, I would say to any aspiring rugby player now, I would say go and work on your skills because I see it’s an area that I feel is neglected these days.

And it’s fairly prolific when we see Wallabies and Super Rugby players unable to pass a certain side, or unable to chip kick… kicking’s a very important part of the game. Especially with this rushed defence. You’ve got to be able to put the ball in just behind. You know, strategic kicking…

So my advice is, go and work on your skills. The fitness will come, if you work on your skills, at high intensity, anyhow. The rest will follow.

Michael, thanks for your time, it’s been a pleasure.

Nah, it’s been my pleasure. Serendipity mate.

For more info on Norths Rugby Club, click here. And keep an ear out for Super W news as we get closer to 2020!

Club Rugby Rules! A Profile of the Great Norths Eagles

For all my first time readers, I'm glad you stopped by! This is where I cover all things Reds related. As every Queensland rugby fan should know, grassroots is where it's at!

Last week I had a lot of fun visiting Norths Rugby club and chatting to a number of the players and coaches. Located in Wooloowin, on Shaw Road, Norths is known as a great “family” club with a history that stretches back 90 years.

According to their website, their goal is to develop players and everyone involved in a “safe, challenging and enjoyable environment”. From my visits and conversations with players and coaches, it looks like they are achieving this!

I loved catching up with an old mate, Michael Hayes, (now the Eagles Women's XV coach) and Dane Zander, a talented up-and-coming prop, who is also the youngest player in the Premier squad! Dane's great interview is down below, and I'll post Michael's as "Part 2" next week!

Chatting to those guys and a bunch of other players and coaches, I got the impression that this really is a friendly, hard-working club. They are focused and yet as Hayesy puts it, a "family away from family". 

Enjoyed watching the mens Premier team train and meeting them afterwards

Watching the 3rd division mens team train (on the left) and the women's team (on the right)

Met some of the Women's Eagles players, after catching up with their coach Michael Hayes -
(his interview will be coming next week, you don't want to miss it!)

For my first Norths club interview, let's meet Dane Zander. A talented prop who is now the youngest player in the Norths Eagles Premier side! A nice, down to earth guy, I'm sure many people will enjoy meeting and perhaps even interviewing him in the future.

Hey Dane,

How are you feeling about your teams season so far?

Yeah, I’m feeling really good about the team. We’ve had a bit of a slow start to the season, but we’ve worked on a lot of things. We’ve had a few injuries as well, which has slowed us down a bit. But I feel like our teams looking really well coming into this weekend. I’m keen to rip in this weekend.

What was the focus of tonight’s training?

The focus of tonights training was getting all the little things right. We’ve been doing really well with our pick and drive, so with the forwards, we’ve been working really well on that. Kick-offs as well… we’ve been working hard on that too. Been looking good.

That’s the forwards. I don’t know what the backs have been doing. Passing the ball, doing nothing. (Laughs).

How does it feel being the youngest players in the squad?

It feels good. I get to learn off a lot of the older people that I’ve been playing with, like Jordan Tuapou - and Tonga Ma'afu’s been a really good help.

Being the youngest person’s good, because I get to take a lot of things in, learning from a lot of the guys with a lot experience. 

What do you love most about Norths rugby club?

The thing I love about Norths rugby club is it’s a big family club. Everyone’s welcome, there’s always an open door at Norths. It’s a fun club to be around, all the times of the year.

How long have you been playing Rugby Union?

I’ve been playing rugby union since I was probably 8 years old.. about 11 years.

What inspired you to play the game?

What inspired me to play the game was.. at school, one of my mates started playing the game and I just wanted to have a run around with them, meet knew people.. And yeah, blow some steam off in the weekend.

What’s your favourite thing about rugby?

My favourite things about rugby is playing with 15 of my mates every weekend and they’ll always have your back on the field.

How long have you played for Norths?

I’ve played at Norths since I was a Colt, so this’ll be my third or fourth year. I was at Albany Creek for my juniors, with all my mates and a few the guys I played with there have moved here.

Thanks for your time Dane. I’ll see you around, for sure.

No worries. It’s a pleasure talking Tom.

A few weeks back - I enjoyed watching a few teams from Norths play against Uni.
The third division team scored some great tries on their way to a win.

North's Women playing against the Uni Women's side

Sideline with some of the crew. Thanks for making sure I had a good spot to watch the game!

Hayesy. Make sure you check back next week for my great interview with this experienced player and coach.

Thanks to the Glen for arranging my visit and to Norths Rugby Club for having me!

A Family Affair: Catching up with Wallaroos Captain Grace Hamilton

This weeks Reds Rugby Rules blog is a little bit different. I'm interviewing an outstanding rugby player who happens to be the newly appointed captain of the Wallaroos (the Australian Women's rugby team, for those who don't know)... it's that much more special because she happens to be my cousin!

I, like many commentators, think she's a natural fit for the role. She's always been a go-getter, and a high achiever in her interests and endeavours and I don't see why she'd be any different as the Captain of the Wallaroos.

Obviously, the Wallaroos are combining the forces of women from Queensland, New South Wales (Grace's home state) and around Australia. An extended squad of 46 women was revealed a while ago and the team is now preparing for two matches to be played against Japan in Newcastle (Saturday 13th July) and Sydney (Friday 19th July). New caps selected for these matches include Queenslanders Lori Cramer, Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea and Shannon Mato.

After a family get-together this month, Grace agreed to do this interview via email. Thanks heaps Grace for your time and for getting back to me so quick! I hope your team picks up lots of new supporters in the coming weeks and months!

Grace after playing for her club - Sydney Uni (old photo).

Hi Grace, first of all, a huge congrats on being given the Wallaroos captaincy! I know I might be biased, but I think you’ve earned it.

Haha, thanks Tom, you are my cousin though.

How did you respond when you heard the news?

I actually didn't have anything to say. I was scared, nervous and excited, but lost for words, all at the same time. I remember sitting on the lounge at home alone just looking out the window and crying, before I called Dad. He was out cutting wood wth Harry (my brother) and in true form, not giving much away, he just goes "oh yeah, good on your Gracie" and I still didn't know what to say.

First of all, what’s your message for rugby fans, ahead of the tests against Japan next month?

Come out and support all the wonderful women! Cheer loud, grab a Wallaroos beanie and grow the support for womens rugby, not just for us, but for all the girls who are going to play in the years to come! Let's make it a really special experience.

You and your team are playing everywhere this year, including Perth, on the same night as the Wallabies and the All Blacks! Which Wallaroos test in 2019 do you think will be the toughest?

Look, I don't like to think too far ahead. We have a job to do this coming week and each week we move onto the next job. We haven't spent a lot of time together yet, so it's about us developing and improving in every aspect of our game and learning.

Dad, Grace and I at Suncorp after Grace's NSW squad
played against our Queensland girls!

The new Wallaroos squad has 16 uncapped players! A number of women from Queensland and also New South Wales have been named. You must be proud of the players who have stepped up!

I'm so proud of every single girl, not just in the Japan playing group, but the whole squad and every girl that put their best foot forward throughout the Super W competition. It takes a lot of hard work and commitment to be apart of Super W and Wallaroos training sessions and it's a testament to each girls worth ethic and commitment to be recognised for this.

We’ve spoken about this before… but I do want to congratulate you again for your Super W win! I do run a Reds blog, but I want to say one more time I am super proud of all that you do.

Haha, I know it's hard to swallow every time we play the Reds, but you're their number one supporter and although I'm committed to the Sky Blue you know I love what you are doing!

Thanks Gracie. I know it’s a busy time, so thanks heaps for taking time to chat! Hopefully I’ll make it down for one of the Japan matches.

Yes, I hope to see you there. I can't wait!

To check out my 2017 interview with Grace and her teammate Emily, click here.

At Suncorp Stadium with Grace and former Wallaroos captain Ash Hewson - after their
hit-out at the Brisbane Global 10s. (Who won this time around?)

A Conversation with Hamish Stewart

Last time I caught up with Hamish Stewart, he was a pretty new to Super Rugby. Now, a couple of seasons on, he’s come a long way as a player, with his kicking game is as on point as ever.

For Reds Rugby Rules this week, he shared his thoughts on the 2019 season so far and the future of the Reds. (Spoiler alert - he still wants you to be a believer.)

And right ahead of this weeks game against that team from Auckland, New Zealand, he and the boys are pumped to “beat the Blues”. It looks set to be another great night at Suncorp!

(Old photo... don't hate)

Hey Hamish, How are you this morning?

I’m very well. Lovely to see you on a beautiful day like this.

I hope you’re looking forward to Friday’s game as much as I am?

Yeah definitely. I think Friday’s game, we’re more playing for a bit of pride and respect for Queensland. The boys are pretty pumped up and the vibe around the team’s good. We’re gonna see a few boys go unfortunately, it’s gonna be a good send off for them at Suncorp.

What are your thoughts on the season as a whole so far?

I think it’s been an up and down season. We had moments in games when we lapsed and we didn’t put our foot down when we should have and that’s really been the disappointment for this year, we should have really closed our games. Close games we should have won. But I think we’ve earned a lot of respect from Queensland the way we’ve been playing, we’ve really been playing an exciting, expansive game of footy, not like previous years when it’s been ‘hit the forwards, hit the forwards’. I think the backs have made a contribution this year and I think building into next year, things are very strong. All the young blokes are getting blooded and gaining experience so I think that’s one of the most important things.

I’ll always be a believer. What’s been your highlight so far from the 2019 season?

It’s good that your a believer, because I think most people are jumping on the bandwagon, which is exciting. Probably the most exciting thing was at the  start of the year when we started getting a few wins under our belt, I felt like we started getting momentum and you could tell with the mood around the boys, we were really starting to build something. But just like I said before, we just lost critical games and you know, it always dulls the confidence when you loose close games. But narrowing it down to one thing, probably the win against the Sharks in Durban would have to be the highlight of the season. 

It’s been a while since our last official catch up for Reds Rugby Rules. Since that time, your game has come a long way. How do you feel your game’s developed personally in the last few seasons at the Reds?

It has been a long time! When was the last time, 2017? Time flies when you’re having fun I guess. Personally, I’ve grown up and I’ve matured a lot. Coming fresh out of school, you’re a bit new to everything. Super Rugby, it’s a hard sport to really nail down and try and play a full season. I’ve learnt a lot of things and had a lot of people help me and contributed to my game and I’m very grateful for that. I think, moving into 2020 - crazy to say isn’t it - I think we’ve got a solid base and if people still believe, I think it’s gonna be an exciting year. 

Will you be playing any games for Bond as the Super Rugby season comes to a close?

That’s a very good question. I was going to play this weekend, if I don’t get many minutes, but I’ve gotta work. But in the future, I’ll definitely be playing some games for Bond.

Do you have a message for Reds fans ahead of this Friday’s game?

I think for the fans, just stay and believe. Cos when you think about it, Rome wasn’t built in a day and things like this take a little while. You can see in our game how we’re improving and it’s getting more exciting every game. I think this is gonna be a real pillar with the send-off of the guys and the emotion of the game. The Blues are an exciting team, they throw the ball around, they’re like every other game. We’re really looking forward to it and I hope all the fans are cos it’s gonna be an absolute cracker of a game.

Thanks Hamish for taking time to catchup. See you at Suncorp on Friday!

Thanks Tommy. I’ll see you there! Hopefully we’ll get the win for you aye!

Mid-Season Pep Talk with Tate McDermott

After a solid Captains run at Ballymore, it was good to check in with Tate McDermott about how the side is going at this stage of the season. It's young players like him (he's not even 21 yet!) that give Reds fans a good reason to "believe" in the team, in 2019 and beyond!

Hey Tate, how was training this morning?

Yeah mate, it was pretty good aye. We’ve been training well all week and leading into the Waratahs game, it was pretty important, getting our last training - last little polish run to get our skills in touch before the big game tomorrow night.

The boys are in good spirits and looking forward to a good game.

I’d love to hear how you feel the team is going at this stage of the season.

Yeah I think we have a realistic chance to make the finals this year, all the boys are pretty upbeat. Obviously we started with three losses in a row and it was a bit disheartening considering we told our fans that we were going to be different this year and we started the way we did in the past. But I think we’ve won five games and the one in South Africa was massive for us and a few at home in front of our home fans - the Brumbies one was a big turning point in our season I thought. In the few games we have lost, it’s more been us losing it than them beating us. Last week against the Rebels was pretty disappointing, but aside from that, once we beat the Sunwolves and got our first win, I think we’ve done pretty well this year, considering the team we’ve put together, full of young fellas that have stood up and made their mark on the competition. So yeah, it’s been good so far.

We do have one of the youngest teams in Super Rugby don’t we!

Yeah, we’re the youngest team in the comp by a long shot. I think the average age is 22-23. There’s a lot of boys my age, who are turning 21 this year who are 20 now, then you’ve got Isaac and Jordy in the team who’re 19, Jack Hardy’s 19, Fraser’s 19. There’s a lot of boys that are really young and getting a shot and making a difference, which is good to see.

What will the team have to do specifically this weekend to beat the Waratahs?

Yeah. We’ve gotta be a smart team and we’ve got to kick the ball in the right places and hold onto the ball when we need to. I think for us, it’s all about attacking. As you know, they play with a flat fourteen and just the one fullback, so if we can turn them around and put it in their corners, I think that’ll take us a long way. It’s all about being smart and playing in the right areas of the field. Last week, our exits let us down a little bit, when we received that kick and tried to get out of our own half. So if we can nail that, I think that’ll show through the whole game. And if we hold the ball and execute when we need to, I think that’ll definitely give them a run for their money and we’re confident we can win this game.

I know it’s all about the team, but still it’s gotta feel good having four tries under your belt right?

(Laughs) it was good to get the first one. But like you said, it’s just good to be scoring tries for the team. If that helps the team in any way, it’s awesome. But there’s no better feeling than crossing the line, in an important game.

Thanks Tate very much for your time! 

No worries thanks for having me Tommy.

To hear more about Tate's rugby journey, make sure you catch my interview with him from last year here. 

An Interview with Junior Wallabies: Fraser McCreight, Harry Wilson and Isaac Lucas

I’m pretty excited about this weeks interview. The junior Wallabies have returned this week from a big win against New Zealand at the Under 20s Oceania cup competition and I got to catch up with 3 of the teams outstanding players, who happen to be Queensland Reds :-). Check out some of the great highlights from the final game here.

I caught up with U20s team captain Fraser McCreight and Harry Wilson during the Reds captains run and because Isaac was involved in the teams training, his team mates answered a couple of my questions in his place!

I’d assumed Isaac Lucas was going to have to run off to catch a flight to Melbourne, but Harry gave him a quick phone call afterwards and Isaac was more than happy to come across and add some extra answers to my questions as well.

So today’s blog post comes in 2 sections! Enjoy!

Hey Fraser, Harry and Isaac (who is absent),

First things first, a HUGE congratulations on the Oceania title win last week! I imagine you guys are still buzzing about the week?

Fraser McCreight: Thank you! Yeah it’s a pretty big win, pretty special. To keep a New Zealand side, or any side scoreless,and you know, to be the first team ever to win the Oceania title [over New Zealand] is actually pretty special. We have a good group of lads and that made it even better.

Harry Wilson: Yeah, it was an absolutely amazing feeling to obviously beat New Zealand and Japan and Fiji too. We played 3 games and had only 14 points scored against us, so it was great fun playing with the boys.

Have you all been back training with the Reds this week?

Harry: Yeah, obviously being back in training Monday and Wednesday with all the boys has been good fun, getting back to the usual fold and seeing the boys again. There’s a great feeling here, obviously they’ve won the last two games, so it’s nice to come back into a winning environment. 

And bring the winning environment! [Boys laugh]

I understand this is the last week with the Reds for all of you!

Fraser: Yeah, this is our last full week. We can play this week, if we got picked, which we didn’t, but Isaac did, but then next week we still have the week to train, but we leave on Saturday, so we don’t get to play.

But yeah, still looking forward to being around the lads, and hopefully we’ll beat the Rebels and be on top of the conference.

What’s something you learnt in that competition that you haven’t learnt anywhere else?

Harry: The one thing is, we had 3 days in 12 days, so a 4 day turnaround. I’ve personally probably never put so much emphasis on recovery. Normally you’d get 2 days off and then go into a big training session but we’d have 1 day off, then a double day of sessions, it’s a bit cruel on the body if you don’t treat it right. So just getting in the ice baths and doing anything we can to feel good for the next days training.

Fraser: Yeah, it’s also different… I did it last year, but for some of the new boys, because living with your team mates for two and a half weeks is different as well. Super Rugby, or club rugby, you don’t spend that much time with each other. Luckily for us, we had a good group of guys who loved each other, no one was a hassle, we loved spending time with each other, so that was good.

Can you guys talk us through the competition a bit and share some of the highlights or memorable moments.

Harry: So we had two games, the first one against Japan, then Fiji, then finishing off against New Zealand. Normally in the competition, Australia’s gone very strong in the first two games and then been defeated by New Zealand, we’ve never beaten them. But going into this game this year we were very confident, we’re a very close-knit team and we all trust each other. To get the win there… it was probably the best game I’ve been in in my life, with the way we played as a team, we did whatever it took to win for each other.

Fraser: Yeah I agree with Harry. It was one of those games where everyone bought into what we have to do and everyone did their job to the best of their ability. No one played bad, no one was a clear stand-out. We've got our "players player" here [Harry was voted in for the award by his team-mates] but everyone did their job which was awesome.

Isaac, Samu Kerevi, Reds captain has labeled you the best “Lucas” yet. What do you have to say to that?

Fraser: While Isaac’s not here, we’ll answer for him. He’s the only Lucas I really know, so I’m gonna say he’s the best of the four.

Harry: From my point of view, 100%. I’ve played with him in school and always trained with him, I’ve played with Tom too, but he’s 19 has he’s probably the best U20 in Australia and he’s playing very well for the Reds. I can’t wait to see him over the next few years, just thrive and be one of the best 10 or 15 in Australian rugby.

Fraser: He’s 20 now, and he’s started 2 games and pretty much played every game he could. Big things for Zaccy.

Harry: He won’t tell you that, he’ll say he’s the worst.

Fraser: He’s humble, but we’ll give him credit where it’s due.

Isaac has said that this competition win is “half the job” with the World Cup coming up. Do the rest of you guys agree?

Yeah, 100%. I think everyone has bought into the fact that you can’t get complacent. Just winning the Oceania cup, even though that was a great test match, the end result is winning the junior World Cup, which no Australian team has done before. So yeah, 100%, everyones bought in, everyone knows what we have to do, so you can’t be complacent.

Harry: Yeah, Oceania’s given us confidence to know that we can win the World Cup. Now, it’s obviously going to be a bit different over in Argentina, but we’ve got confidence and we’re gonna go over there and try and - or we’re gonna go over there and do it actually.

It seems Brad Thorne has been very supportive, releasing you guys to play for Australia.

Fraser: Yeah. It’s a weird situation we’re in, because we could potentially keep playing here and try and get Super Rugby caps under our belt, but it is pretty special playing for your country. To get time away and learning from all the experience that you’ve got here, with Thorny giving us permission to go across and do everything we can do to win that junior World Cup, it’s pretty cool. So hopefully we can go and get the job done and come back here and do whatever we have to do.

Harry: I agree with that. I know Thorny says there’s nothing more important than playing for your country, so obviously he’s released us to play and yeah, if we go and win the World Cup, there’s probably nothing better we could have done this year, just develop as a player, plus the experiences of playing against European countries, so hopefully next year the experiences we learnt this year we can try and give to the Reds and play hard here.

What are the teams plans for preparation for the World Cup?

Fraser: So we’ve got 10 days in Sydney, from 18th to the 28th May. We’ve got one trial match down there against the Barbarians and maybe another one.

Harry: Yeah maybe an opposed session against [Sydney club] Gordan. That’ll be really good, because now we know our structures and we can train against each other for 10 days and feel good and look good, but testing against good teams and good clubs will be good.

Fraser: Yeah and then there’s Aus Bar-Bars [Barbarians] got picked, there’s a chance we might have a hit-out with them.

What are you looking forward to the most about the World Cup?

Harry: For me, I’ve never played in a World Cup, so I’m excited just to be in a tough environment where I guess you’re playing for your life every game. I’m not sure if Australia’s won an Under 20s World Cup. You might know Frase, have they?

Fraser: I’m pretty sure we won an “under 21 World Cup”, with Genia and all that. But as Under 20s, we came second in I think 2010, but other than that we’ve come fifth or sixth most years.

Harry: It’s been a while then, (since we’ve at least been in the final) so I want to go there and create some history with some of our best mates and a group you love, so I can’t wait to go there and try and smash the world 

Fraser: It’s also pretty cool the places you get to go to, we get to go to Argentina

Harry: Eat a lot of steak…

Fraser: A lot of steak… I’ve never been to South America, I don’t think Will has either,and a lot of the boys are in the same boat as we are, so to get to do that with, like Will said, with your best mates, playing rugby - the sport you love, it’s gonna be pretty special.

Thanks for taking time to catch up. All the best with your training camp! I’ll be following your journey to the World Cup closely! Go and kick some butt!

Fraser: [Laughs] That’s our plan. Thanks for having us!

Harry: It’s awesome to be on here and hopefully talk to you soon when we get back!

Fraser: Hopefully we’ll do everyone proud. Can’t wait! 

Junior Wallaby/Queensland Red Isaac Lucas

Thanks for taking time, I know you have to rush off soon. What were some of the highlights or memorable moments from the Oceania competition?

Yeah, it’d be hard to go past the kiwi game. Beating them was very special. I’d have to say not only beating them, but keeping them to zero, that was might highlight of the 20s tournament.

What’s something you learnt in that competition that you haven’t learnt anywhere else?

Probably the small things, having a 4 day turnaround after each game. So things like recovery, the small things that better prepare you for the next game, that was probably my key take-away from the tournament.

Samu Kerevi, Reds captain has labeled you the best “Lucas” yet. What do you have to say to that?

[Laughs] He’s looked after me pretty well there Samu, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that. I think we’re all pretty different in the way we play the game. There are some similarities… I’ll take it [laughs] but it’s not something I look too far into. We’re all different in our own ways.

2019 has been described as a “breakout” season for you. Were you predicting things to go this way?

No definitely not. It’s been a great ride so far, and obviously a lot of work to do still. But I knew, doing pre-season if I could really train harder, Thorny sort of would be able to reward me and that’s what he’s done. But obviously there’s a lot of hard work to go and a lot of improvement that feel I need to make. But I’m really enjoying my footy. Hard work and enjoying my footy has been the key to the year for me.

Isaac, you said that the Oceania competition win is “half the job” with the World Cup coming up. Could you elaborate on that a little bit?

Yeah. The Oceania tournament was really good to win, we didn’t take that lightly, it was a big achievement. But when I said that, obviously the World Cup is coming up and our ultimate goal is to take that out. It’s a very tough tournament to win. While it was a good confidence booster, a great win down on the Gold Coast, half the job is done… we’ve got a massive challenge down in Argentina, to win the ultimate goal.

What are you looking forward to the most regarding this competition?

Obviously to play rugby, it’s Under 20s - you don’t take that lightly, you’re representing your country, I’m really looking forward the rugby and playing for my country. But also, the off-field stuff - I’ve never been to Argentina, so it’ll be great to get the opportunity to experience a different culture and explore and sight-see and that sort of stuff. The rugby aspect is obviously the most important, but you’ve got to take a step back sometimes and take in your surroundings.

Thanks heaps for your time and all the best this his weekend. I’ll be watching and cheering you on!

No worries Tommy! Thank you very much. Hopefully we can get the job done.

Banter at Ballymore with Bryce Hegarty

I love watching the Reds train at Ballymore each week and catching up with them afterwards. You can often tell they have their fans on their minds while they prepare for each game. This week was no different! I had a great chat with Reds five-eighth Bryce Hegarty who shared his excitement about where his team is at. You could sense his focus and drive to continue to make this team great.

The Reds have a home game tonight (Friday) at Suncorp at 7:30pm! Make sure you tune in, or come down and support!

Hey Bryce, thanks heaps for making time to catch up after training. How are you this morning?

No worries at all. I’m excited! And training was good. A good captains run this morning and I’m really looking forward to our chat.

The Reds are playing the Sunwolves this Friday and you’ll be playing against a few old friends. How much are you looking forward to this weeks game?

Very excited. Yep, I know a few guys in their team, obviously I’ve played in Japan for Ricoh over there. I loved my time in Japan… The Sunwolves are a very good team, you know they’ve had some great results and they play a very exciting brand of rugby. So we’ve got to make sure we’re on and playing our game. I’m very excited to play against them.

Can you tell us about the South African tour? What were some of the highlights, on and off the field?

Certainly. It was a good tour of South Africa. Results wise, it was good to get a win in the second week [against the Sharks] in Durban. I think it’d been 15 years since the Reds have won over there, so that was very exciting. How we started in that game was great, we put them under pressure the whole game which is what we’re all about and what we’ve been building at this club and focusing on. Obviously we want to take that into this week and the remaining rounds.

Off the field... it’s an amazing country, South Africa, very different to Australia I suppose. I found the weather was quite similar to Brisbane in Durban I guess and a few of us boys, the keen golfers, got out and had a game of golf. We played in Durban Country Club, which is a great course. We had a lot of fun there and we bonded really well as a team over there. You know the typical larrikins have their jokes on tour and there's a lot of fun stuff that happens. But I think it’s important for a group like this, everyone becomes really close on tours like that. You’re with each other for two weeks straight, so you kind of have no choice. My roomy was Higgers for most of it, we get on very well. So it was good fun.

Who’s the biggest larrikin for sure?

Ah Taniela probably. He’s a funny man.

Reds fans are excited you’ve landed in Brisbane! Can you tell us a bit about your rugby journey and how you ended up here?

Yeah definitely, I’m excited to be back in Brisbane, I grew up in Samford. I went to school in Marist, Ashgrove. I loved my time in Brisbane, I always wanted to come back and play for Queensland. I started when I went down to play for the Melbourne Rebels when I was 19, then I went to the New South Wales Waratahs. Unfortunately I missed my first year there because I did my ACL in my knee, but I was there two more years, I enjoyed my time there. I made my way up North to the great state of Queensland, I’m settled in here now and enjoying my time here and I’m looking forward to the future of this club. I think it’s very exciting what we have coming through. I’m really excited to be a part of it.

Things have really been clicking with you and Tait (McDermott), with you in number 10 and Tait at halfback (number 9). What are your thoughts on your partnership? Also, for my readers still learning about the game, how would you explain the partnership between half-back and fly-half and its importance?

Tate and I are really enjoying playing with each other. Yeah it’s a partnership and as you’re probably aware, combinations take time to build. Tate and I have gelled together quite well. One of the youngest half pairings in the competition. He’s so enthusiastic and keen to learn all the time and we’ve spent a lot of time together working on our game, because you can see in the games we’re improving each week. Our time together on the field’s super important because we’re controlling the team in a lot of ways.

Generally speaking, the half-back (number 9s) and the five-eighth (number 10) are the conductors of the game. They control the game as much as they can. As much as you can, you try to be smart with all your calls, your try to direct your team around the park where they need to go, you try to be really loud, in terms of your directions and then it’s up to the rest of the team to execute the plays. The best way to think about it is they’re kind of like the conductors of the orchestra.

What inspired you to play rugby early on?

I was always encouraged by my parents to play rugby, my Dad played Rugby League and I played League as well. Then going to Marist Ashgrove, a very big Rugby Union school, I got into Union there. I played with Nick Frisby who was obviously a Red as well, we’ve got a good friendship. I really loved my time playing rugby at that school and making the mates I have. That’s one of the things I love most about Rugby, you become mates with so many people from such diverse backgrounds and that’s something I’ve loved and enjoyed the most about the game.

What’s your number one piece of advice to young players, both girls and boys?

Number one piece of advice is just to keep training, keep practicing. And don’t let anyone tell you your not good enough, your not big enough, anything like that, because it’s all in your hands. If you want something bad enough, you’ll make the sacrifices that you need to, to get it. There’s always gonna be people that say, you know, negative people and my best advice is just to focus on yourself and do the best you can be whether you’re a boy or a girl.

What’s your favourite thing to do outside of rugby?

Um, I love playing golf. I love doing that as much as I can, I find that’s a really good release - from playing rugby. I love going to the beach, I always love getting out there. I love going to the Sunshine Coast, whether it’s Noosa, or Sunshine beach, or Caloundra, hanging out with my partner and our Gold Retriever… that’s always good fun.

What’s your message to Reds fans ahead of tonight’s game?

We’re doing everything we can and we’re really excited for the next seven rounds, because we’ve got such a good opportunity to play in the finals this year and keep improving. And I know we’re training very hard here, we’re looking to improve every week, and you know, we want the best, we’re players that want to be our best and do the best we can, and we’re challenged to firstly make the finals, play in the finals, and as we go in there, take each week as it is. So yes we’re challenged to win, because that’s what every team here wants to do.

Thanks Bryce for your time today. I will be right behind you and the team this Friday!

Thanks so much. Thanks for interviewing me Tom. And anytime you want to have a chat, I’m always here, whether it’s about rugby or anything.

Thanks for having me, and I look forward to seeing you again soon!