Meet the Rugby Wanderers Team

Rugby Wanderers was founded by Paul Collins and Woody Woodward with the twin objectives of providing a fun site for all rugby fans, past and present and, more seriously, providing a recruitment zone to help players and coaches from all over the world to link up with new clubs who need their services.

Paul 'Taff' Collins

Aged: Younger than Woody

I started playing Rugby when I was 6 for St Albans RFC (the buns) in Cardiff. We had a great team and I have wonderful memories of travelling all over playing in many tournaments, in England as well as Wales. My coach at the time was Jimmy Pratt, this man dedicated his entire time to us kids and I even named my tortoise after him! Each time we came back winners we were paraded around the club, all the locals clapping us through. This was fab'lus (Welsh for really good)

The best game as a kid was at London Welsh when we became the first Welsh team to win the tournament, beating our old enemies Tredegar Ironsides, these boys were until then unbeatable. We did em!!! The worst was getting caught nicking apples from a farmers field in Marlow.

Funniest memory as a lad was peeing in a bottle on the bus (as you do) but it got mistaken for a real drink later on. Not sure if we ever got found out.

I have to say coming home each Sunday my dad would critique my game and was never shy at telling me if I was poor, I was sometimes. This is often criticised nowadays as we are supposed to be happy losing, no way!! I am sure in NZ they don’t say "it's OK you never won, you played well anyway".

I joined the Royal Air force in 1986 and had a right old laugh, the fact that you were a sportsman was looked on as being part of what the R.A.F. was all about. I played at all levels representing Combined Services juniors and had a Welsh & English trial at u19 level, the first trial was against the likes of Scotty Gibbs and co, the second for the English was probably hindered by the fact that I had a very Welsh chip on my shoulder, and wore a Welsh top all the time. Never wanted to play for them anyway!! I never got my full cap, much to my annoyance, and is often remembered to me by some of my so called rugby mates.

Woody has mentioned that I am a little bit of an abrasive player, well I was but isn't that the only way.

Whilst in the R.A.F. I was privileged to meet some great people and great players, and of course coaches. Phil Hockaday, Nige Tong, and of course my old mate Mick Carey.

Touring as often as possible was also on the top of my list, for some reason I was always seen with a beer in my hand, singing some song, more than occasionally naked.

My passion for rugby and all that is involved is why we are here, offering this great site. I have a belief that if all kids were made to join a Rugby Club, which offers team work and of course self policing and discipline, we would have much less of a problem with unruly kids. Failing that, send 'em down the Coal Mines again.

Finally, thanks to my Mum and Dad who made sure I was able to enjoy this sport and supported me all the way, without this I may well have been playing another Sport, and may never have had the opportunities that I have had over the years, with many more to come like Wales winning the World Cup.

Look out for more tour stories and idiotic capers in the forum, your views are always welcome.

'Woody' Woodward

Age: 40

Even during my school years in Nottinghamshire I loved my sport. Junior International Badminton, county level football, rugby, swimming and table tennis - I was a sports nut. I joined the Royal Air Force at 17 as a Physical Training Instructor and continued to expand my sporting world.

Along with the regular sports I canoed, parachuted and even got into skeleton bobsleigh.

Rugby was always the sport I was into most though, as a young lad on the wing I trialled unsuccessfully at Gloucester RFC, continued as a wing/centre during my RAF career with stints at Tring and Hitchin RFC and finally finished up as an open side at Hitchin RFC. When asked about my positions, I always say if you want a gifted, running, handling, thinking centre then play me at 7. If you want a hard tackling, crash balling 12 or 13 I'm your man!

I’m retired now as injuries took their toll through the work and rugby but you will still see me out on odd occasions for any vets side who'll have me and of course at the bar reminiscing, it's strange how the older you get the better you were.

I lived and worked in Melbourne, Australia for a while and loved the life-work balance and try to keep that spirit alive back in U.K. Sunnies, shorts and thongs even at work, drives the boss insane!

Knowing how hard it can be to move to the other side of the world, I really believe in what we do and the support we offer all our players and coaches, it really does make a difference.

I still follow Gloucester and of course am a mad England fanatic.

On my boss… I've known and been friends with Paul for about 15 years, a tough, abrasive and uncompromising hooker on the pitch, he was the same off it. Realising this was not going to get him any money on the streets of Cardiff he became the straight as die bloke he is. His devotion for the job is only out-stripped by his passion for his beloved Wales, this makes for some serious office banter and even more serious baiting of the English when they win. The last months have been unbearable.

Web Site Development

The Rugby Wanderers web site is developed and maintained by Accuvista Ltd. Working on the RW site has brought back a lot of memories for us. These include sitting in Stamford RUFC clubhouse in the 70s drinking too much Tartan Bitter (oh dear...) and a quiet Easter Monday in the Boot & Shoe, which suddenly erupted when Dusky walked in (on his own) and uttered the immortal words "28 pints of bitter, please landlord" - the local club were back from their Easter tour and several rounds later, the pub would be out of beer for days...

For more information on how Accuvista can help with your marketing and web site requirements, please visit our web site at: www.accuvista.co.uk