Come September/October this year (2015) England is set to host The Rugby World Cup and I am going to be there and I am super dooper excited to tell you about a little journey I have been on to secure my place in history in what is set to be a memorable 2 months of sport.
(I'm going to be updating my blog at each part of my journey right up until the big kick off and throughout the tournament and I'd love you to follow me and see what I get up to)
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I'm not too sure what triggered my love for sports. What I do know is that I always preferred being outside running around rather than being sat behind a desk. I'd have a go at anything, Hockey, Netball, Athletics, Tennis, you name it I was there at the front of the queue itching to get going.
From high school I went on to college to study Sports Therapy and Sports Development and Fitness, it was either that or letting my creative juices flow by studying Beauty. After MUCH deliberation I decided to try something different, something that all my friends weren't doing, I wanted to branch out and spread my wings and so I signed up to study Sports Therapy.
Whilst at college I took a Saturday job my local Football Club in the club shop which grew my love for Football and an industry I have had 11 years working within and have loved it very much.
Where has my love for Rugby come from?
During my college Sports Therapy course I was lucky enough to put the skills I was learning into practice. The college organised a trip to a local Rugby club so that we could use or magic hands on the boys!! How lucky was I right?!
Hunky Rugby boys in shorts and I got to get my hands on them Ha Ha.
TBH I didn't feel lucky at the time, I was incredibly nervous. A team of strapping lads all fired up after a match was a little intimidating it has to be said, top that with their good looks and I was a nervous wreck.
Before getting my hands on the boys, we watched them play their match and I'll tell you now I had no idea what was going on. The rules were going over my head and all I was thinking was don't give me the captain he is far too good looking I would crumble if I had to massage him ha ha.
I thoroughly enjoyed the match, the was a real buzz around the place and I thought I'd love to watch a professional match and luckily at that the time, the six nations was on TV so I was Ireland take on Scotland which I loved! My love for the game grew from there.
Rugby World Cup 2015
Fast forward to February 2014. I was reading about England being chosen to host the Rugby World Cup and the need for people to apply to work during the tournament a team of people to be known as 'The Pack' Rugby's answer to the Games makers of the Olympics.
After watching the Olympics 2012 in London everyday it was on and witnessing the amazing fun the Games makers had, I to apply and so I did.
The process began with an online form where I had to write a bit about myself and any experience I had that I felt I could bring to 'The Pack'.
Whilst not having any experience working in Rugby, I do have many years of working in Football and large stadiums which I was able to link quite well to Rugby.
I completed the first stage of the application process form and off it went. I had such an excitement about me when writing the application and more so once I had sent it off. Normally when applying for anything i.e. a job I never feel so excited, I'm normally a wreck with nerves but not with this, maybe it was because it wasn't a paid job that I needed and so the pressure was off a little and more something that was going to be fun and if I didn't get it I couldn't still watch the games on TV, I dunno, but I was rather excited about the whole process.
Months went by and on 30th July 2014 I received this email...
Woweee I got an interview!!
Now the world 'Interview' sends me into a panic. It's a word that should be banned from the English language Ha Ha, its everything not fun about any application process however I was chuffed to bits to get to the next stage that I didn't dwell to much about it.
Interview Day (Try Out)
My Try Out was to be held at MediaCityUK on 6th September 2014 some 2 months after receiving the 'Congratulations you been selected to attend a Try Out' email'.
MediaCity btw if you don't know is home to the BBC, ITV, Coronation Street, Blue Peter and many more big shows and to go to where these big programmes are filmed was quite exiting.
I arrived in Manchester and signed in and hung around in the waiting area with 5 other successful applicants, all wearing Rugby shirts except me, which threw me a little, I started to panic inside that I wasn't showing me love for the game like the people around me were. I was wearing my shamrock necklace though -maybe they'd see my elegance is to Ireland ha ha.
We were all asked to follow one of the reps to an area where we were to have our photograph taken which unbeknown to me would be used on our passes if we were successful.
The rep asked if anybody wanted to go first and there was silence. Oh this is a great start, nobody is speaking and nobody wants to be the first up. So I put my hand up and stepped forward. I thought that this would show to the reps that I wasn't afraid to put myself forward and I also wasn't sure if the interview process was from the moment you stepped foot in the building and I still don't know if going first was a plus or not.
Photo taken and on we went to a small area which displayed Rugby memorabilia which included trophies, medals and used Rugby balls, all fascinating to look at.
This area I think was designed to calm any nerves people may had and to integrate as a team. There was a cool section in this area which was set up so you could have a go at throwing a Rugby ball into small holes cut out in the wall. There were five balls on the ground spaced out at different distances.
I watched a few of the guys in my group have a go at it and one clearly plays the sport as he got all 5 in!...Show off ;0)
I had to have a go, I went from the front, so closest to the next going back and I missed the first one (great start!) missed the second and the third haha but I somehow pulled it back and in ball 4 and 5 went wooohooo. ''SIGN ME UP'' I shout. As if I managed to slot the furthest ball away in on my first go at the challenge....get me, fluke or pure talent I don't care it put me in a good mood to go into my interview.
We were taken to watch a short video set to inspire us ahead of our interviews which were to follow straight after.
The interview booths were all set up and I went into the first booth and was met by a jolly lady which instantly made me feel calm.
The good thing about the whole application process is that at every stage of the process you are met by volunteers, the team who were doing the interviews were volunteers themselves, I really like this element.
The lady I had was so lovely, she really made me feel like I was meeting up with an old friend and not there to be grilled.
I cant remember many of the questions I was actually asked and I think this is because of how the interviewee was with me and I'd like to think everybody else interviewed felt the same.
The next stage was to head over to an area set out to like a Rugby dressing room which was a cool idea. In this area there were lots of pieces of clothing laid out. We were asked to try on the clothes and record what sizes fit us best. We were then told that the clothes were samples of what was to be the selected uniform for the tournament. How exciting!! I do hope the uniform is a tad better than the army coloured pieces I saw in front of me....style icon I would not be in these, I wish I had taken a photo to show you, they were not pleasant haha.
So that was it, a few hours of fun and an interview later, my Try Out was complete and I was off home. Just before I left I was told that the Try Outs were being held until the end of the year and we'd not hear anything until January 2015.....2015!! boy did that seem a long time away. Soon came around though and o
On 16th January, 2 days before my birthday I was given an early birthday present....this little beauty of an email arrived.
OMG I DIT IT!!!
I cant believe it, I am so super excited and more so proud that I have been chosen especially to learn that 20,000 people applied and I along with 5,999 other lucky people are set to be a part of sporting history.
The next stage is coming up in May when all 6,000 successful volunteers will meet at a central venue for the first time for a bit of a welcome day, how exciting.
I plan to blog about the day and as mentioned at the beginning of this post I will take you on the journey with me and hopefully you too will feel like you are with me every step on the way.
Until next time...
HS x
