Going back to a land down under

As the sun sets on an eventful season, we say goodbye to our Antipodean recruits, Tim Loughnan and James Stephenson. Rarely do people join a club and fit in as immediately as these two boys and they will be sorely missed both on and off the pitch.

Tim Loughnan



James Stephenson

The New Zealand club player exchange is a relatively new experiment for Tring and has already been extremely successful. Last year, Greg Blick set the backline on fire with his searing pace and Joe Collins slotted into the Front Row, although unfortunately he spent much of last season injured.

This year, we foraged the rugged South Canterbury plains to cherry pick two titans of the Crusaders Youth Rugby set up. Tim and James arrived in November amidst much fanfare. The team’s suspect run would surely come to an end now the next Dan Carter and Richie McCaw had joined our ranks. They instantly impressed in training and were itching to get out on the field. 

However, things didn’t go according to plan straight away. Indeed, the Kiwi cohorts must have wondered what they had signed up for - bemused by a three and a half hour journey to play Diss under two inches of snow! Despite the loss, the boys let their hair down on the bus trip home – their singing initiation may well have shattered glass and curdled milk but their  ‘game for a laugh’ attitudes fitted the team dynamic well.

James more than filled a Huw Slater shaped hole in the Second Row, bringing some added steel and aggression. His line-out expertise allowed us to successfully reshuffle and breath new life into our set pieces, which was a key factor in our fantastic run in. He ran hard lines for 80 minutes and would always make big tackles – the type that gives the whole team a lift.

James was something of a would-be-lothario as well, leaving a string of broken hearts around Tring and the dance floors of Aylesbury…even with those questionable neon blue jeans!

The famous jeans!

Tim brought a calming assurance to the back line. His laid-back, laissez-faire style was the perfect foil for the busy workers such as JP and Liam Chennells. His deceptive pace and highly affective sidestep meant he ghosted through tackles with a graceful air.

His versatility served us well, proving a solid Centre, Full Back and even a visionary Fly-Half in the Cup Final. But it was at Wing were he had the most success, scoring an impressive eight tries including two in the memorable victory at Bishops Stortford.

They both made fantastic contributions to the club this season and their Haka on the bus home from North Walsham was an excellent tribute to remember them by. As they embark on boozy jaunts around Europe before returning home to the Land of the Long White Cloud, we wish them all the best.

Haka on the bus

As part or a new Tring tradition, a verse to the club song ‘We are Rangers’ was penned in their honour:

[Verse to be sung in best New Zealand accent]

I know a couple of fellas from Kiwi

All: I know a couple of fellas from Kiwi

One called Timmy and one called Jimmy

One called Timmy and one called Jimmy

Tell the truth that I have found

Tell the truth that I have found

No sheep are safe while they’re around!

No sheep are safe while they're around!

Chasing Eggs

"The whole point of rugby is that it is, first and foremost, a state of mind, a spirit." - Jean-Pierre Rives (1952), French rugby player.

It's hard to know where to begin with my experiences in Rugby. I suppose it is in some way innate: my Grandad was a talented player and played for my school's 1st XV before the Second World War and my Dad played all through his childhood, at Naval College and even for the Navy.

My first experiences of Rugby were in front of the TV on Saturday afternoons, watching the likes of Will Carling, Jeremy Guscott and Rob Andrew pull on the red rose at Twickenham. The sheer power of Mick 'The Munch' Skinner, the cool and calm inspiration of Dean Richards and the speed and exhilaration of the Underwood brothers. Anyone/thing that could generate often jaw-dropping outbursts of emotion from my otherwise reserved Dad has got to be worth pursuing!

As with all young boys, I was keen to impress my Dad and couldn't wait to take up the Game but I did not start playing until 12 years old. In all his experience and wisdom, he did not want me to start too early and get sick of the Game. This meant I flirted with other sports, such as Football, Hockey, Swimming, Squash, Fives (Squash with your hands basically). However, I was restricted to Goalkeeper as my tackles were deemed 'too robust'!

Once I was finally unleashed onto the Rugby pitch, it felt like a duck taking to water. It seemed a natural fit for me. I loved the passion, the physicality, the aggression but most of all the camaraderie. I've been lucky to make some fantastic friends through the Game and had some unforgettable experiences, good and bad. Playing in front of a huge crowd at the ANZAC game in New Zealand and being the first team to beat Jersey at home in three years are moments I will never forget. But having three nurses and a doctor trying to pull my dislocated shoulder back into place will also remained etched in my memory.

I have experienced Rugby overseas as well, playing for a year in New Zealand whilst on a GAP year working at Wanganui Collegiate School. The Kiwis have a fascinating attitude to the Game and are a wonderfully inviting and welcoming people. It was certainly an eye opening season for a somewhat naive teenager, still wet behind the ears. I went from well mannered and polite schoolboy rugby to face-tattooed gang members trying their hardest to tear my head off! But the great thing about Rugby is that once the whistle blows, everyone is friends again and what was World War III becomes nothing more than an anecdote in the bar.

There are downsides to Rugby, obviously. I have alluded to the injuries, my own chart of maladies reads like a junior doctor's text book. Broken legs, fingers, ribs, too many dislocations to keep track off - leading to two shoulder reconstruction operations, a dislocated collar bone to name just a few. But, I have to say, whenever I'm sat in a hospital bed in plaster or going through physio, the only thought I have is, "When can I get back out on the pitch"!

However, as the crow's feet deepen and the hairline sneaks backwards, I am starting to be more realistic about my playing ambitions. But if this does turn out to be my last season, it certainly won't be the end of my Rugby career....hence the reason I've started this blog!

Please share your own experiences here and let me know your thoughts on the Game...