As I said, I had a full time offer from a big club in the first division but it wasn't enough to support my bills and basic outgoings. A rugby contract at my level is based around uplifts, more often than not. You get a retained salary, however you get match fee money. My contract was 150 per game. However, if you string together 3 games in a row it would rise to 300, 5 500 etc. My chances this year of playing consistently enough to bring my income to meet my expenses was unrealistic.
The purists out there will say train harder, do this, do that. However, squads work in rotation to keep uplift down and the message from the off is I am back up. All I really want is to play week in week out anywhere I am but still get rewarded for it. This is the real world kicking in.
I was playing semi-pro until the end of last season and now, havinghad a good, well documented county season have a greater market value. That is why I have accepted a two year deal in Holland. 50k per annum, free accommodation and work experience at a sponsor. That is market economics and an example of the real word in sport.
Thursday 11 June 2009
The Academy deficit
I lost out on my dream job this week. The role I saw as a pathway to future glory, Rugby world covers and future journeys to the Antipodes on the back Of the RFU's commercial department and perhaps mae a trip thanks to HSBC, the well endowed B&I Lions sponsor.
After a well performed and aggressive County Championships I was offered a number of conversations with National one clubs. Thanks to the RFU's Re-structure all the clubs in the 2nd tier are full time and will be travelling to Europe this season to play. A joy for the parochial merc. We tend to hammer out our weekends in places like Stourbridge, Hemel Hempstead and Lydney. If we are lucky we might get a visit to London Scottish (for some glamour), Worthing (for some sea air) or Bracknell (for a lesson in Urban planning).
The chance to be in talks meant I was on the right path, learning my trade, taking the right angles and basically looking like a 6'6" 18 stone lock who is fairly quick and fit should look. I was offered a contract but on the premise that I was very much low down the pecking order and my financial guarentees reflected this. I will get onto contract structures later, but suffice to say lots of income is dependent on the number of games played etc.
I was also contracted for the summer to a premier club in Oz. That turned into a farce. I spent the sum of one week there before coming home. I though silver lining. I can rest and get my body into shape. Awesome. I'll fight for that starting place and make decent money and not be fatigued.
The call comes in. "Hi Rugby Merc". "It's big rugby club director of rugby here". Just to let you know. We are signing ex premiership club lock with 22 appearances last year". "He came onto the market, was available and has family in the area". "We'd still like to see you at pre-season and re-nogotiate our agreement, in all honsty though we'll loan you out to (insert level 4 club here) for the year and call you when everyone's injured, that is if you are still fit."
Back to the drawing board. That club was worth going to for the exposure and I could have lived on the money (just), but renotiation means one thing. Less cash and with a lifestyle to maintain you have to think long and hard: The quality of being in a full time environment but not playing or seeking a lower standard but cash. My problem, to justify my probable decision, is my lost years. I need to play to get experience.......
After a well performed and aggressive County Championships I was offered a number of conversations with National one clubs. Thanks to the RFU's Re-structure all the clubs in the 2nd tier are full time and will be travelling to Europe this season to play. A joy for the parochial merc. We tend to hammer out our weekends in places like Stourbridge, Hemel Hempstead and Lydney. If we are lucky we might get a visit to London Scottish (for some glamour), Worthing (for some sea air) or Bracknell (for a lesson in Urban planning).
The chance to be in talks meant I was on the right path, learning my trade, taking the right angles and basically looking like a 6'6" 18 stone lock who is fairly quick and fit should look. I was offered a contract but on the premise that I was very much low down the pecking order and my financial guarentees reflected this. I will get onto contract structures later, but suffice to say lots of income is dependent on the number of games played etc.
I was also contracted for the summer to a premier club in Oz. That turned into a farce. I spent the sum of one week there before coming home. I though silver lining. I can rest and get my body into shape. Awesome. I'll fight for that starting place and make decent money and not be fatigued.
The call comes in. "Hi Rugby Merc". "It's big rugby club director of rugby here". Just to let you know. We are signing ex premiership club lock with 22 appearances last year". "He came onto the market, was available and has family in the area". "We'd still like to see you at pre-season and re-nogotiate our agreement, in all honsty though we'll loan you out to (insert level 4 club here) for the year and call you when everyone's injured, that is if you are still fit."
Back to the drawing board. That club was worth going to for the exposure and I could have lived on the money (just), but renotiation means one thing. Less cash and with a lifestyle to maintain you have to think long and hard: The quality of being in a full time environment but not playing or seeking a lower standard but cash. My problem, to justify my probable decision, is my lost years. I need to play to get experience.......
Natural traits and getting a job
It's a lie to praise rugby's apparent desire to embrace body sizes and shapes. If i'd been born 5'10 and 80 kg I wouldn't have achieved what I have.
It is because of my physical attributes I get work. Being a latecomer and, as my agent put it "an unknown" ( i missed out on divisional and national honours as a teen) I have to sell what I have: my size and athleticism.
Indeed, it is a greater prejudice to a Director of Rugby if you haven't come from a premiership academy. The best players I see on the circuit tend not to come from one of the RFU conveyer belts but are late bloomers, guys who are clumsy and ill co-ordinated teenagers who develop into super grown ups. It raises questions about why the RFU does what it does. (infact, i've missed out on a dream job because of this, More later)
My time in Wales (where i came back to the game) seemed much more honest and transparent. You pay for the town, the region and the country and you seemingly get your opportunities. If the lock or blindside is called up by the Ospreys from Swansea then a wratchet mechanism occurs. Swansea may have to call someone in from Gorsenion and Gorsenion may have to.......You get the picture. In England it is a case of get into the academy and your career is decided.
The RFU works the other way. They loan the academy players to the nationl league clubs which makes my life difficult. Up until recently i've had delusions of grandeur by playing a 6 or 8. The academys are full of these guys and they are constantly sent doen to us to get game time. That makes keeping your job harder and more importantly, keeping your foot in the door for another contract or another club looking at you for the following year.
It is because of my physical attributes I get work. Being a latecomer and, as my agent put it "an unknown" ( i missed out on divisional and national honours as a teen) I have to sell what I have: my size and athleticism.
Indeed, it is a greater prejudice to a Director of Rugby if you haven't come from a premiership academy. The best players I see on the circuit tend not to come from one of the RFU conveyer belts but are late bloomers, guys who are clumsy and ill co-ordinated teenagers who develop into super grown ups. It raises questions about why the RFU does what it does. (infact, i've missed out on a dream job because of this, More later)
My time in Wales (where i came back to the game) seemed much more honest and transparent. You pay for the town, the region and the country and you seemingly get your opportunities. If the lock or blindside is called up by the Ospreys from Swansea then a wratchet mechanism occurs. Swansea may have to call someone in from Gorsenion and Gorsenion may have to.......You get the picture. In England it is a case of get into the academy and your career is decided.
The RFU works the other way. They loan the academy players to the nationl league clubs which makes my life difficult. Up until recently i've had delusions of grandeur by playing a 6 or 8. The academys are full of these guys and they are constantly sent doen to us to get game time. That makes keeping your job harder and more importantly, keeping your foot in the door for another contract or another club looking at you for the following year.
Beginings
I've only been playing senior rugby for 5 years. When I say that, I played as a kid but stopped when I was 13. I played basketball and was good. I represented my country, was offered a full scholarship to a medium sized American college and felt good about myself.
Rugby came back into my life by accident, through 7's and I got the bug. I had reached my full potential in basketball and wanted a new challenge, so at the age of 21 decided I would work to get paid to play rugby. I loved it but I wanted the challenge. Many of my peers form minis and juniors had excelled and were winning test caps. I was better than them and could I catch up were my thoughts.
Since then I have played, in 6 years in 6 countries, 14 different leagues, 11 rep teams and achieved my goal of playing in the English National leagues.
Rugby came back into my life by accident, through 7's and I got the bug. I had reached my full potential in basketball and wanted a new challenge, so at the age of 21 decided I would work to get paid to play rugby. I loved it but I wanted the challenge. Many of my peers form minis and juniors had excelled and were winning test caps. I was better than them and could I catch up were my thoughts.
Since then I have played, in 6 years in 6 countries, 14 different leagues, 11 rep teams and achieved my goal of playing in the English National leagues.
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