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I was an enthusiastic rugby lover who got to First IV level at school. My two buddies, Lance Hook and Billy Birtwhistle got to the top. I was too small. Got smashed in the trials. That was it. I walked away. What a waste of 12 years of my life achieving excellence.

Some years later with a family and 2 sons who were also of small stature. I enrolled my 2 into the local soccer club thinking they could get 30 years or more benefit and pleasure from the game. As a result I got caught up in the game and became a coach. Passed the NZFA coaching course in NZ and obtained my Coaching Certificate from the Victorian Sports Academy

The interesting bit is, before going to AU, a mother of one of the boys in my team approached me to tell me she had 2 sons. The elder followed his fathers love of Rugby while the younger played soccer on my Junior team. She explained that in the days following each weekend the elder of the 2 was aggressive towards the family while the younger of the two was always calm and settled. She put this down to the fact that rugby players were coached to attack the oppenent and not the ball while the soccer players were coached to attack the ball, not the player

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