background, so in that sense the hits are harder
and they’re not shy of running directly at you.
Our aim is tobuild rugby intelligence and teach
our players it’s not all about hittinghard and
taking out your opposing player. You alsoneed
to find the gaps, be evasive andmanipulate
defences towin games.
Howwouldyoudescribe the level of rugby
knowledge inAmerica?
Rugby is on the rise but there is a huge lack of
awareness andmiseducation of what the game
is actually about andwhat amatch involves.
Our goal is to teach theGriffin players the
fundamentals of rugby and to increase the
awareness in Texas as awhole, and ultimately
the nation. The rugby culture is somethingwe all
love andwe’re very determined to become the
best rugby club in the country, win the league,
andbe at the forefront of aiding the sport into
an age of full-time professionalism.
Youmentionedprofessionalism, how far
awaydo youbelieve it is beforea full-time
professional league is up and running in
theStates?
My personal belief is somethingwill start in the
next few years. USARugby has come under
some criticism recently but it’s hard to appreciate
the difficult task they havemanaging rugby in a
country this size, with such a huge population.
I think they havemany of the right ideas to
developpro rugby and aswe’ve seen recently
with the sevens team, they aremaking great
strides.My gut feeling is that it won’t be next
season, but I’m confident the season after that
wewill see some structures introduced. There’s
a very interested groupof investorswho are
pushing for a lotmore international and club
rugby in theUS, and I think theywill be at
the forefront of creating a league, whichwill
become very attractive to professional players
around theworld. Especiallywith theWorldCup
later this year, rugby is going to be amassive hit.
New professional franchisesmay start to pop
up but Griffins have already put the necessary
pieces inplace and are primed to joinwhatever
pro league develops.
LIFEAWAY FROMRUGBY
Weunderstand themove to theUShas
alsoallowed you to explore your off-field
interests, can you explain thework you’re
currentlydoing at abusiness level at the
club?
I currentlywork outsidemy training schedule
as the clubs Business DevelopmentManager. I
recently graduated from the RPA’s Leadership
andManagement degree through theUniversity
of Northumbriawith first class honours and
also received the Ede Ravenscroft prize for
best overall performing student on the course.
Therefore I’ve begun to honemy skills learnt
through networking as a player, through player
appearances or functionswe are invited to as
well as the theories covered inmy degree to
develop as a businessmanwhile still being able
toplay competitive rugby, it’s the perfect balance
forme.
Yourwife, has alsobenefited from the
move to theUS, can you explainwhat she
is doing?
Well mywife has her own photography business
calledAndreaDovey Photography. She specialises
inweddings, new-borns, and families and has
a degree ingraphic design. She also designed
theGriffins new logo and enjoys capturing the
team in amore of an artistic format with some
fantastic shots.
WORKING FOR THERPA
During you career atWorcesterWarriors
you served as anRPA Player Representative,
can youdescribehowmuch you enjoyed
the role?
I absolutely cherishedmy timeworking for the
RPA. It openedmy eyes to awhole newworld
that exists after rugby. I remember when I first
started in the role it really hit home andmade
me realise that the RPA are actually telling
the truthwhen they tell you life after rugby
is something that you need to get sorted.
Preparation is the key formost things in life but
especially in rugby because you never know
when your careermay come to a crashing end,
andwithout the planning in place you’ll find
yourself in a very scary position.
Would you encourageother professional
players toget involvedwith theRPA
andput their handup for a spot on the
Players’ Board?
Without a doubt! It’s a fantastic upskill for
any player as you gain a tremendous level of
involvement and personal development. It really
workedwonders onmy life, madememore
confident, I felt encouraged to speak tomy peers
and also gaveme an opportunity to express any
issueswewere facing as a teamor a club. Not
tomention it has preparedmemassively formy
future and stoodme in really good stead for a
new career over here in theUS. If you get an
opportunity towork as an RPA Player Rep grab it
with both hands, it’s something that you should
never turn down.
Formore information onGriffins Rugby please visit their website
or follow them on Twitter@GriffinsRugby
Griffins Rugby images on this page courtesy of
AndreaDovey Photographywhich can be found at
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