Newcastle Falcons vs Leicester Tigers Programme

fewer contracts to go round. That’s just where rugby is at the
minute. Yeah, it might drive motivation for some guys in that
they’re playing for a contract, but it’s also a difficult position to
be in, because it’s your livelihood.
“It can be stressful, but you’ve got to look at it in a positive light.
If you play well you’ll put yourself in the best possible position
to get a contract, and it has to come from a place of positive
motivation rather than trepidation around not getting one. I
think the coaches here have dealt really well with how they’ve
talked to the players about it, and it’ a case of trying to gain a
contract rather than trying not to lose one.”
On the wider question of where the sport stands, he adds:
“Where rugby is at the moment, I think it’s tough to keep
everyone happy. We’ve lost a number of clubs which obviously
is terrible for the people involved, but the product on the
field I think is really good. Even though results haven’t gone
Newcastle’s way I really enjoy the Premiership and feel like it’s a
great league for supporters and TV viewers, and the Six Nations
is massive in putting the sport in the shop window.
“That last weekend of Six Nations action was brilliant, and things
like the Netflix and Amazon documentaries ae taking the game
to another level in terms of public awareness. It’s becoming
more of a spectacle, and the sense I get is that fans are enjoying
it.
“The main problem is that rugby is a very complex game, and I’m
not sure you can really properly solve that one. I’ve got family
members who come here every week and still don’t understand
the laws, but they’re up off their seats when Adam Radwan goes
off on a run or someone puts in a big hit. They love the collisions
and the excitement without really getting all the tactical
nuances, and to a large degree I think that’s a good start.
“Fans love
the collisions
and the
excitement”
“Things like the TV documentaries also help to get the guys’
characters and personal stories over, and we as players know
we’ve got a part to play in promoting the sport. We’ve got to be
open to media requests and opportunities to let people in, even
though some guys will enjoy that more than others.
“In any squad you’ll have your more introverted players and the
lads who are happy to have cameras around, but the Falcons
are very open to that kind of thing and I think we’ve had a good
response to the bits and pieces we’ve put out there. We’ve got
loads of great characters within rugby and that’s what we as
players need to be open in conveying, because a lot of people
make their judgement on what you are about based solely on 80
minutes on a weekend.”
PLAYER INTERVEIW - BRETT CONNON
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