Episode 31 - The Jack Colbourne Interview - New Milton to Guernsey with Hull and NZ in between

Join us for an exciting episode of Rugby Through The Leagues podcast, where we head to Madrid to watch Spain vs. Uruguay. This week, we feature Jack Colborne, a young rugby talent with an impressive CV. Jack shares his journey across the rugby world, from playing in New Zealand to currently representing Guernsey in National Two East. He talks about the challenges and experiences that shaped his career, including his aspirations for Guernsey's future. Hear about the highs and lows of his international rugby adventures, including his time in New Zealand under the guidance of rugby legends and his return to the UK amidst the pandemic. Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation packed with valuable insights for aspiring rugby players. Plus, get a sneak peek at our upcoming trip to Guernsey for a doubleheader in January!

Transcript

So, welcome to another Rugby Through The Leagues podcast. This week, as you can see, we are in Madrid. We are at the Spain Uruguay game. And this week we've got Jack Colborne's come on. So, Jack's not played for Spain, not played for Uruguay, but he has gone and played in New Zealand. , but yeah, we're on the first of three trips, trips up and down Spain to go and watch Spain in the next three weeks as well.
So, yeah, really looking forward to, to getting out and watching Spain. International rugby in a couple of different places. Spain, Fiji next week is going to be really good as well. So, yeah, can't wait for that. But, , yeah, so Jack Colbourne, come on, currently playing for Guernsey. Went and did five years over in New Zealand.
, has been around a little bit for quite a young lad. Has gone and played in that one for [00:01:00] Hull. And, , has got a really impressive CV. So, he's also able to pass a bit of judgement on , for lads that want to have a go. And, as you can see, we've running in the background from Uruguay there, so, yeah, let's,, another great interview, , , second to last episode, , , let's get this one out of the way and, , hope you enjoy it.
Carl: This week we've, , we've gone slightly more international. So , the other week we've had Sao Paulo. We've, , we've had New Zealand and now we're, , we're on the Channel Islands in, , with Guernsey. So Jack Colbourne jumped on, , Jack, for your time, mate.
Carl: Really appreciate it. , for those that don't know who you are and what you've done, can you, , do a little intro and , share the rugby journey that you've, been on so far. 
Jack: Yeah, no, thanks for having me on, mate. Appreciate it. , so I started out my rugby journey, , down at New Milton Rugby Club, , in the New Forest.
Jack: Yep. So grew up there and I left at the age of 16 to jump over to an arch rival, Bournemouth. So, , I didn't get lynched, [00:02:00] And then I was only there for a year, I got picked up on the 7th circuit over in Amsterdam, which is pretty good, and then went up to to Hull up north, which was a massive change, especially for An 18 year old straight out of college.
Jack: , but it was, I call it character building. So, , and then I got the opportunity of a lifetime to go over to New Zealand. So I was actually there for just under five years. , I was, it was great. My plan with, , with Northland MPC just around that school. , and yeah, so my visa ran out, had to unfortunately come back and had a good option of, , Of Guernsey, so I'm back in the National Leagues and I'm enjoying it.
Jack: So yeah 
Carl: nice. So obviously Guernsey are National League National two 
Jack: East. Yeah. That's why so, 
Carl: so same league as sort of Havant and stuff like that as well. So 
Jack: same one. Yeah. Yeah. 
Carl: , decent league to be in as well by the looks of it looks like it's gonna be a really competitive league. [00:03:00] Tonbridge is sort of having a little bit of a runaway.
Carl: You guys got , picked at the post bar, picked the 
Jack: coast and it was like 80, 85th minute mate. Yeah. So, , I think it's still gonna be a bit of a bitter taste on that one, but it's, it's given us some drive going forward, so, yeah. 
Carl: Yeah, I can imagine. So the season ahead then you've obviously got a difficult but what looks like a really good league to be in.
Carl: What's the difference obviously coming back from New Zealand, obviously Hull, Ioanians are in. They were in Nat 1 when you were there? They were 
Jack: there. So yeah, we were in Nat 1 and then the year I went we got relegated. So they've been in Nat 2 for a while. 
Carl: Yeah. 
Jack: And I know they stayed, just stayed up last year.
Jack: So they're building something. Up there as well. I try and keep tabs on what's going on. So, yeah, no. , yeah, I get to be fair, mate. The league in that two here, it's, 
Jack: , it's really competitive. I think there's about four or five teams that could easily go up. 
Jack: , yeah, us being one of them. 
Jack: , like I said, we, we went into preseason this year, one in the top six [00:04:00] aim, 
Jack: , and that was what was sold to me and a few of the boys that came over.
Jack: , and I think we've, Not only exceeded Obviously the coaches and the club's expectations, but we're pushing ourselves to really, you know, drive on. And I think we had a result on the weekend that we won, we got five points away from home, which is good, but we reflected and we weren't actually too happy with that.
Carl: Yeah, 
Jack: if that makes sense, like, happy with the win, but we definitely feel like we could have performed 20, 30 percent more of what we could do. So, 
Jack: , yeah, it's exciting. It's good. 
Carl: Yeah. Cause I've, I used to play for Gosport back in the day and, , they recently had your twos, twos over and, , I played against your twos in my last run out for Gosport, funnily enough.
Carl: So I'll actually, , Season before I headed to Spain, I had a little run out and they go, Oh, Guernsey are coming over or something. So I thought, I thought I was going to get five minute run out and that would be, that would be that. And, , that five minutes turned into [00:05:00] 70 odd minutes. And you guys, 
Jack: it's always the 
Carl: way you guys have been running some cricket scores against other teams.
Carl: I thought, right, this is going to be. A proper shift, but no, we, we put up a good, good effort. I got a little pork pie as well for me, , me final, final game of the Gosport top. So I've, , I know a few lads love the, the run ashore as well over Guernsey. It's actually one of them that we've potentially eyeing up for the pod as well.
Carl: So we're doing it. Yeah. So we're, we're doing grassroots rugby again. So I've got a couple of the lads , jumping on. So I did a few bits in the summer with, , Petersfield and stuff like that. And, uh, yeah. Yeah, we're potentially eyeing up the doubleheader because you guys have got, , Havant, I believe, in your game.
Carl: And then Gosport 2s are over there playing your 2s or Gosport 1s are over there as well. So yeah, it's something that we've got an eye on for the pod to come and do a doubleheader. So I haven't done the run ashore at Guernsey yet, but it's supposed to be a bit of a trip. How is the travel? Does [00:06:00] that, is that something you guys have got to factor in with training, et cetera, as well?
Jack: It's, it's like, it's okay. It's challenging because we normally get the red eyes. So we've done, I think it's three away trips now. And two of them have been at the airport for 6am. So yeah, like I think looking at previous years from what I've been told that we've notoriously just struggled to adapt, um, just because you're up at five, four past five at the airport.
Jack: You're flying at seven, you've got maybe an hour or two wait in the airport, and then an hour or two on the coach, which is, is quite hard to. Get your head in the game. But, , yeah, it's a long, it's a long day, especially when there's a few beers after you win as well. You're pretty, you're pretty tired on the flight back.
Carl: You don't, you don't mind the way back. It's the, it's the getting there and then not being able to put that. So does your sort of the coaching outfit, have they got a bit of a plan of, obviously they must have done it for a little while. So they know the. The ways to probably [00:07:00] navigate around that travel.
Carl: Um, when, when do you sort of train during the week? Is it Tuesday, Thursday, like everyone else? Or do you sort of, have they adapted that to make sure that you get an extra rest day in between or? Uh, 
Jack: no, it's just Tuesday, Thursday each week, but we, we try and do our trainings within an hour span. So we've got a detailed, it goes out on the page.
Jack: Like we have a little group page, it goes out on a Monday and then a, and a Wednesday of what's going to happen in training. We know what we can prepare. , We normally do a club review as well of the game just gone on the Tuesday. So again, it's a, it's a bit of a breakup and it works quite well. We prepare, it's probably one of the best clubs I've been at where we prepare and actually study what we're going to do and we go next, which is, which is what you want, you know?
Carl: Yeah. Spot on. So obviously the. They've, they sound like they're pretty much got that nailed away. Obviously, they've had the big target of Jersey as well. , trying to sort of break that barrier down. You guys are sort of getting on top a little bit [00:08:00] recently as well, which I'm sure that probably makes everything a little bit easier.
Carl: But they're, they're doing, they're making big strides. I know, obviously, Jersey Reds have gone bust and few of those lads have now appeared in the Jersey set up. So how's, how does that, obviously, with that being a local sort of game and stuff, have you guys. Sort of keep an eye on where they're at, or is that literally just, we'll deal with that when it comes.
Carl: , I think, 
Jack: I think obviously we always, because it, because it is Jersey, we always have an eye out because we have our Siam Cup at the end of the year every single year. So, and again, from what I've been told, it is huge. So, I think there's about 4, 000 to 5, 000 people that turn up. Wow. Um, which is exciting to me.
Jack: You know, it's, yeah. It's one of those things where you get sold on coming over to one of these teams and you just think, right, okay, end of the year, let's get, let's get your, let's get stuck in. So, yeah. , yeah, we, we, we keep our tabs on it, but it's, it's not something we need to worry about, you know? No, I think we, I think if [00:09:00] we, we've got the ability within ourselves to just, , beat anyone that comes in front of us, and that's just no different.
Jack: And it just makes it even better that it's on a bigger stage. So, 
Carl: so, yeah. Do you know, is that, is that like a home and away or whoever wins the Siam Cup, do they get to host it the next year or how's, how's that sort of figured out? I 
Jack: think it changes every year. So last year it was in, in, in Ghanzi this year coming up.
Carl: So how long is the journey across? I know obviously you've only just got there, but what's the sort of journey from Jersey to Guernsey? Is it a rowing boat? , to 
Jack: be fair, it's not far on the ferry. I've not, I've not done it. So I think it's maybe an hour tops. Okay. And then the flight, it's literally 20 minutes.
Jack: Not even that. 
Carl: I was going to say, it's up, it's down. It's probably Yeah, 
Jack: it's really, it's really not far. Because I, to the UK on a, on a ferry. It's two and a half hours and then it's a 45 to an hour flight to Gatwick. So yeah, again, not too bad. 
Carl: No, not too bad. So, , what, [00:10:00] so what's the difference that you found from playing nat one to then going.
Carl: New Zealand NPC to then coming back to sort of Nat two level, what's, what's the takeaways that you found from the differences of going, as you said, character building in the north of England to New Zealand, to a remote island in the middle of the Channel Island with a really big expectation on your back as well.
Carl: I think 'cause Gues in Jersey set really big standards to, to how they wanna play rugby, which is brilliant. Mm. Yeah. There's probably a bigger target on you guys because you guys expect so much more. Is that, is that a fair cop? 
Jack: , yeah, I think obviously from coming from that one to go, I was, I was there very young.
Jack: So I was, my, my head coach for the first couple of years was Alex Crockett. , I know that name hasn't been rung around for a while, but he was very good for me as a [00:11:00] center slash winger, just to learn and to feed me in. And I'm always very great because I look back now as an 18, 19, 20 year old, you're not getting very much game time at that high level, especially when you've got established players.
Jack: So I was very frustrated around that time. He, he nurtured. I made sure I bid my time and when the time came, I definitely, I definitely took it, which was brilliant. And we've not won. It's just so physical. It's so physical. Everyone wants to hit you. The forwards are about, I don't know, five, five inches bigger, , about five, five kilos heavier, same as the backs, but they've all got quality and they're quick.
Jack: You know, it's just, it's a, it's a bit of a jump. , and then going over to New Zealand, it's. Not as tactical. So they want to play, they want to throw the ball around. , they're quick, they're strong. You get a lot of the Islander boys over there. So [00:12:00] BG and Samoan, which is, Hey, and some of the best players I've played with are Fijian and ridiculously good.
Jack: , but they just back, back their skills. So again, I was very fortunate to have a coach, , called Eric Rush. So he was that seven's legend, all blacks legends. And, you know, it was learning off him every day when, when you're training is just, you, you can't buy that experience. So, yeah. And, and cause I, again, I was 20, I was 22, turning 23, they, as an Englishman going over to NZ, they, , they want to stick it on you quite a lot.
Jack: Um, just because, just because you're a pump, which is great, you know, it's, you either sink or swim and met only meant to be there for six months. I stayed there for four years, so I think, I think I did all right. 
Carl: Um, 
Jack: yeah, I guess you're training with the likes of Rene Ranger, you're training with Sam knock.
Jack: Who's a super rugby player. You know, the, the rush brothers, it's, it [00:13:00] was definitely an experience and coming back to, to NAT two, it's, , Yeah, it's made me more physical, more dominant. , I've matured quite a lot. So just within myself and my rugby game. So I know my worth coming back in over here. So yeah, use that to my advantage and it's, , it's worked out quite well.
Jack: So. Yeah, I can't, can't complain. 
Carl: So how did that ever come about? Did you get a call or did you say, did you put it on Facebook and say, Oh, I'm moving to New Zealand. Is there anywhere I can come play rugby basically, or how did it work? 
Jack: Yeah. So I got a phone call, , maybe three, four in the morning, , because of the time difference.
Jack: I was quite fortunate because I was playing sevens on the circuit at the time and my sevens coach was like, Hey, there's an opportunity in New Zealand. Let's anyone want it? And I was like, yeah, why not? I'm young. It doesn't happen often. Let's give it a go. , didn't really expect to hear much from it. And then, yeah, I got the phone call at maybe three, four in the morning and it was, , David Holwell, who was a Hurricanes and Northland [00:14:00] legend.
Jack: So he, he's, he was part of the club and he basically sold me on coming over. So just saying the heritage of the club, what they want to achieve, what we're bringing in. And it's, you start looking at it as a one, once in a lifetime opportunity. You're not going to say no. So, I think it was within one or two weeks of going back and forward, I was done, booked flights, gone, see you later, yeah, so, it was, I can't even say it was complicated because it really wasn't, so, it was 
Carl: that 
Jack: easy.
Carl: That's amazing. So for players that are thinking about it and are of that level, is it a case of just go and do it and go and experience rugby elsewhere? And then you, as you said, you've come back, you've slotted in, you probably understand the game better as well, rather than sort of doing the hard yards on and off the bench.
Carl: Kids like that just go and get it, get it done and go and experience the rest of the world. Has it made you a better person as well? Do you [00:15:00] think you've become more cultured because you've gone and actually been able to go and do something else somewhere else? Cut yourself, cut all the ties and gone.
Jack: Yeah, it definitely, it opened up my eyes to quite a lot of things. , you, you, again, you're away from your family and your friends, so you have to, you have to do, you have to do everything all over again. , which is, is, is, you can either sink or swim. So if you're an adventurous person. do it. If you're confident, do it.
Jack: If you want to travel around and then play a little bit of footy, still do it like it. I'll always recommend it. , and then for rugby aspect, yeah, it's, , it just improves your game. It makes, it makes you realize how, , I don't know if you've had like how behind we are in our development as You know, when you're kids and we're playing at like 7 or 8, throwing the ball around, learning how to pass it.
Jack: Over in NZ and Australia, they're learning how to do that at 4 or 5. 30 metre passes. So, you're sort of looking at it going, you can see why they [00:16:00] are, like, two, or were two of the best teams in the world. So, , yeah, always recommend it. It's brilliant. It's 
Carl: great. Far too structured within the English game.
Carl: There's more worried about, , The, the stages of the game, rather than just say, right, let's go and play and then play what's in front of us. That's so I've, I coach over here as well in Spain. So I coached you under 16s and it's a case of lads, like a lot of your skill sets and you're never going to get to that level.
Carl: And if we keep doing structure, we just, I just loop, there's certain levels of interest that they'd lose. So it's a case of, let's just play what's in front of us. We can only beat what's put in front of us. And if you boys can keep the ball active, you're constantly putting them on the back foot. , And just play in front and just have fun because the game doesn't last forever.
Jack: And 
Carl: I think there is a, such an importance put upon structure within the English game, which is quite, quite boring. I love like that New Zealand way of slinging out the back door, the Fijian way. Let's [00:17:00] like, let's just, just play the game that's in front and just have fun. Do you think you've been able to bring that back, , and follow that sort of ethos within Guernsey for yet to sort of fall back into a bit of structure.
Jack: , I think to me, to be fair, give Guernsey credit and they, they love to throw the ball around anyway. So we, again, we do have an exit, an exit strategy, which every team does. , But we, we love to play and our backline is pretty exciting. So whenever we get into shape, we just want to play, we want to throw it around.
Jack: We want to stretch it wide, , be direct, but it's, yeah, I think the only, the only difference, and this is every team, to be fair, , we box kick a lot more. 
Carl: Okay. It's 
Jack: a lot. Again, as a winger in a back three, you constantly find yourself chasing kicks over and then over in NZ they may be box kick. I don't know, two, three times a game.
Carl: Yeah. 
Jack: It's not really that often, but obviously over here, we box get maybe five, six times because it's a territory [00:18:00] battle more than anything. Which is where the difference comes in. So, of heads up rugby effectively, but that's just how we are, how we're taught, aren't we? That's how we do it. Which isn't a problem.
Jack: It works for us. You see in the World Cup just gone, we got to a semi final doing that, which is, hey, Can't knock it, but it just happens, so. 
Carl: Yeah, it's one of them, isn't it? The game's adapted so many times. It's, it's got to work in certain parts. So, but I can imagine, so the lads that you've got over there, have you got many that are, most of them are island lads, like Guernsey lads, or have you got other lads that have sort of had the phone call, come back and had the opportunity to go and sort of plough their trade over in Guernsey?
Jack: It's, it's, it's a mixture. I think there's a, there's definitely a few that have grown up through the ranks or they've gone to, they've gone to uni and then come back, which is as bad at them because uni rugby over here is a good standard. , but yeah, a few of the, I think a few of the boys have been, have been pulled over.
Jack: It's basically straight out of uni. If you can get out of [00:19:00] uni for a club, then you're quite set then. So I think that's what most of the boys have done. 
Carl: So nice. So. When the, when the Guernsey call come in, was there, was there other options on the table? What sort of sold you to go to Guernsey? Because As we've discussed, it's quite a remote island and it's a slightly different change of pace.
Carl: Probably perfect to come back from New Zealand to not be straight in the mix of the hustle and bustle. But, was there, were there other opportunities? And literally, what they've sort of put on the table for you guys, for you is, We want to go here and sort of process is actually going to happen. Do you think, 
Jack: , I had a few, a few opportunities on the table, which is, which was quite flattering.
Jack: , I, to be fair, I actually approached Guernsey myself because I, so I went to college with someone who lived in the Guernsey Island. She kept on about, you should come over whenever you come back, you [00:20:00] need to come here. Don't get a jersey. You should do this. I was like, right. Okay. Okay, fine. So I got given the email address flicked an email over and then to be fair it wasn't It was very short and sharp.
Jack: It was great. This is what we want to do. This is where we're heading as a team. , I'd already seen, they'd signed someone from the champs. So I knew where the ambitions were going to lie. , and yeah, it's why not just, I'm closer, I'm close to family, close enough anyway, for them to come over and meet me going back.
Jack: , so yeah, I thought it was just a perfect fit, a perfect time. 
Carl: So your family's still sort of Dorset, Bournemouth way, are 
Jack: they? All in Christchurch, mate, same as the park. So, , yeah, it's quite nice to go back and visit because it's, it's been, it's been a while, so it's, it's good. 
Carl: How did they take you moving across the world to go and play rugby?
Carl: Did they come and visit much? Was obviously that must have been right in the middle of COVID as well. So that must have been a real, real hand grenade on your, your family [00:21:00] relationship. 
Jack: , it was the start of COVID. So I literally flew through America as it was, , going through China. So I, I turned up to New Zealand, I think it was eight weeks in, it was then a lockdown.
Carl: Wow. 
Jack: So it was, it was, I was quite lucky. Um, and then, yeah, no, no one, no one came to visit. I think they tried a few times, COVID restrictions from the UK side, and then obviously cancellation with flights. It can't be helped. , but I, I went back and visited, I think after two and a half years, which was great too.
Jack: And it just, everything just felt smaller. But then of course, I changed quite a lot, which is fine. , and then, like I said, me coming home, they were quite, they were gutted about it because I'd set up a life, I owned a gym over in NZ, which was going well. Um, and yeah, I had to give it all away, but secretly they were very excited because I'm, you know, I'm only two hours away and I'm not, Not [00:22:00] 24 hours.
Jack: So I think they'll take 
Carl: it. So, so with that, when you were over there, there was, there was really strict on COVID restrictions and everything like that, weren't they? That must, that was obviously pretty much locked down as soon as somebody sneezed. It was literally like a scene from, , was it Monsters Inc.
Carl: Where they just chuck a tip. It was pretty much like that, wasn't it? So, , Did you, were you able to play rugby apart from obviously when that was there? Or that must have been a really hard adaption to. Going from expecting to be able to play constantly, a whole new life, a whole new sort of trying to make friends to literally a lockdown situation.
Carl: How did that affect you in that way to start with as well? Because being young, you want to get out there, you get on the piss, meet loads of people, etc. So then, hold on a minute, you can't even go and say hello to someone in case you catch this virus. That must have completely blew your mind. 
Jack: Yeah, it was, , to be fair, again, I was quite lucky.
Jack: I got, , I got put with our coach [00:23:00] and his family, so again, I was, I was around people the whole time. , I had a guy in, in our team as well, living there. So we, we got on like house on fire. We were, we were working out every day, going for runs, you know, we, we, we made it work. Probably six weeks before that we were training twice a week, had already played a few pre season games.
Jack: So it, well, I think it was a week or so before our actual season was going to start because they start, they started, , end of March, April time. So it's a little bit delayed. 
Carl: Yeah. 
Jack: So, yeah, but then after those, after those eight weeks, we got a full season in. Oh, wow. Again, it wasn't really, obviously there was, there was massive restrictions.
Jack: And there was no after matches, you know, we had to put food separate. It was, it was, it was different, but again, I loved it. It was just an opportunity to play. And then we, we actually made the final that year. So we lost in the last minute of extra time. So that [00:24:00] will, that will always be a memory that, you know, like a COVID season, but it was still a season.
Jack: So. I can't complain too much. 
Carl: So yeah, maybe you're the jinx, Jack, because that happened the other week as well. Maybe you see last minute situations, Jack, wherever you're around, it looks like the coach is gonna have to start subbing you before you 
Jack: say that. You said I scored, I scored an 83 minute winner the other week as well.
Jack: So 
Carl: I mean, 
Jack: I redeemed it. I've 
Carl: , so obviously that was the first sort of two and a half years were really restricted. And then you said you're out there for five, correct? 
Jack: Yeah. Four 
Carl: or five years. So the other two and a half years, the other side of it for an Englishman going over to to play in New Zealand, what's the difference in that?
Carl: As you said, like of the, the food afterwards, the traditions, is it the same or have they got a whole completely different way again? Cause over here in Spain, it's, it's a completely different situation [00:25:00] again to what it is in England. And it really interests me to find out what differs because there's similar traditions within rugby.
Carl: Yeah. There's ways of delivering it across each country. And how did that differ when you finally managed to get out the other side of the, the Covid bubble? 
Jack: Yeah. , so to, to be fair, it's not real. I don't think it's that, that different. , they, they liked to, so their, their prem rugby over there, which is their, their top grade.
Jack: , yeah. The subs bench actually plays two games. So that's a little bit different. So if you have a reserve, so your B team play. , so they play the same team that you're playing, just the reserves team. , and then they'll play a half. So they get minutes in and they'll come up on the bench for us. That was a little bit of a, of an eye opener, but it keeps people interested and keeps people moving.
Jack: So that's good. After the game, you have your speeches, but they wait a little while. So they do, , they do a forward of the match, back of the match. , you obviously got, you got a necky pint. Yeah. You know, you can't, can't do a buffalo, [00:26:00] which is standard. , but the main difference is they, they pretty much bless their food every single time.
Jack: So it's very spiritual. It's very, yeah, the very, very respectful people, very respectful. , again, you've got to buy into that straight away. If you don't, then you basically got a black mark on your head. , and then the food over there is just, it's always, most of the time it's always fresh. So. Especially in the North Island, at the top of the North Island where I was, , it's a lot of seafood.
Jack: So, if you don't, again, if you don't like seafood, you're probably going to struggle with it. , but it's just, they're all just so friendly. Everyone's just really lovely, you know, they just want to sit there, have a talk with you. , they're very, very welcoming. , all their families, , they welcome you in.
Jack: And even, I think the most, the nicest thing about it when you're moving over there, , all the boys have got kids and they've got, they've got little families. They're your uncle to everyone. So it's Uncle Jack, it's Uncle Jack, Uncle Jack, and it's just, you know, it makes you feel like it's a home away from home.[00:27:00] 
Jack: So I'll always be grateful for that. So yeah, it was definitely, it's definitely great. 
Carl: Quality. So what's, what's the sort of the next ambition then Jack? Obviously, I know you're with Guernsey. Have you got? sights that you want to go somewhere else around the world to play the game or have you, is this kind of where, where you're at and you might end up finishing your, finishing your career back at new Milton or something like that.
Carl: Is that, have you got one sight on the next step or is it a case of, I want to go as far as I physically can with Guernsey and this is, this is where I am for a little while now. , 
Jack: I think, I think for now, , Guernsey have definitely, we've got high aspirations and that's what we want. I think if we can, we need to break through that next, that next mould, that next bubble, which the club has been struggling with the last, well, since they've been in Nat 2, but I think this is, Probably the first time we've got a very, very strong, strong enough squad to, to compete, which is exciting.
Jack: So if we can get promoted and we can push on from there, that's, that's great. , no, that's, that's probably the goal right now. , [00:28:00] I do have one eye on coaching at some point. 
Carl: Oh wow. 
Jack: I would, I would love to do some, some player coaching. So even if that is to go back to New Milton and actually play, cause I never play the senior game.
Carl: I 
Jack: played a senior game for the first team, so if I could, you know, if I could ever go back and be a player coach at that level and put the input in and, you know, share the appreciation they showed me as a kid, , I would, yeah, I think, I want to get to at least 30, 31, you know, at the level. And then once the body starts to break down a little bit more, I'll jump back over.
Jack: So 
Carl: we'll see. What is the, what is the target that Guernsey have set? I know that some don't like to say it out loud, but they've obviously got big aspirations. Jersey obviously made The sort of the championship level and stuff and went pop, , obviously as a club, they probably don't want to be in that sort of financial disarray and they've got to manage it [00:29:00] sensibly.
Carl: , what is, what is the target? Is that the champ or have they got bigger aspirations past? 
Jack: , no, I think like I said, for now, we sort of go off what we've been told this year. So top six was the aim that changed after the first two weeks. We want to go top three, top two. And we just, we just want to compete.
Jack: We want to be at a level where we compete week in, week out. And like I said, if that is promotion, then we'll, we'll take it and we'll go from there and we'll rebuild again, and then we'll see what we can do. , but I think it's pretty hard to, to go past this year and what we're, what we're doing. So that's probably all I can say on that, actually.
Jack: So 
Carl: no, that's fair enough. So. Obviously a big aspiration for yourself is probably what sort of targeting Nat 1 again and having a proper proper punt of that because you left it quite early on to go to New Zealand is that where you you see yourself is that sort of your your level and aspiration to get back to 
Jack: Yeah, you probably, you've hit the nail on the head. I, I did love Nat 1. I absolutely loved it. I love, I love [00:30:00] the physical side of it. I'm, I'm 104, five kilos as a winger, so it suits me quite well. , so yeah, like I, if the opportunity ever came about again, I'd, I'd probably take it with two hands. So, , yeah.
Jack: You never know what the future's gonna bring, but, , no, it, yeah, I think to always strive to be better and play with the best. possible players you can play with. 
Carl: Yeah. 
Jack: Again, you're not going to say no. So yeah, if that opportunity came about then that's sweet. So, 
Carl: so leading on to that, what you've just said there, what, who is the best player you ever got to play with?
Jack: Oh, 
Carl: , putting your flag on it, putting your flag on it now, mate. There's 
Jack: a few good mates in there as well. So I'll, I'll think about it. , I'll tell, I'll, I'll give you, I'll give you a handful. I'll give you a few. , So there is mainly over in NZ, I was very, very fortunate to play with some just top, top quality players.
Jack: , our captain, , he's called Jordan Olsen. , he was a Canadian international. 
Carl: Oh, 
Jack: wow. And [00:31:00] he, , He was just ridiculous. Best, best, best darts I've ever seen on a hooker. Would run for a full 80 minutes. Just ridiculously strong. Really, really, just powerful. Really good. , I've got the Rush Brothers., Eric's, , Eric Rush's sons.
Jack: So, Rob, who plays for the Blues. 
Carl: Yeah. 
Jack: Absolute freak of a man. just built in stature. Ridiculous. A bit of a side. They're all a bit psycho, really, but they're great. But let's just take after that. That's like ridiculously. , and then, yeah, Brady, who went over and did, , all black seven. So he just, he just competed in the Olympics.
Jack: Again, naturally gifted, quick, good hands on the ball. And then just work ethic. Just take takes both of them to a new level. So, yeah, I'd probably say those three, those three are the top ones. And I've played, like, I've played against some, some internationals there, Tongan, Fijian. , and they just, they, again, it's just, it's just those extra, extra steps that you don't realize that you need to take, but they're already.
Jack: [00:32:00] Already way ahead. , so yeah, , but I think up in Hull there was a player called Lewis Minikin. He's still playing for them right now. He's, , we actually nicknamed him God. He was just gifted. Everything he touched just turned, just turned to gold. So we just called him God. , but yeah, I've, I've been, I've been pretty fortunate.
Jack: I've been pretty fortunate. So I can't, yeah, I don't want to leave anyone else out, but just off the top of my head, that would do. 
Carl: Nice. So, who have you, who have you had the opportunity to play with that should have gone on but didn't quite make the heights that , their ability should have sort of gotten to?
Jack: Yeah, yeah. , I'm trying to think now. , they're, going back to my Hull days, there's a, there's a lock who's called, he's called Joe Makin. He's the captain. He's been there for, for so long. , Ridiculous. He's just for a lock, his handling ability, his speed, his work rate. He probably should have played champ.
Jack: Maybe a couple of prank up, , prem cup games. He was up there at high standards. , and then there was a winger [00:33:00] called Sam Wilson as well. Same up in Hull Quickest winger I've ever played again. I played with sorry. , really nice guy and he probably should have played a couple of champ games as well, but he had a few knee injuries that sort of kept him back.
Jack: So again, those those sorts of players, very high quality to having your squad probably should have done more didn't. But I don't I don't think that's because it was They actually wanted to, I think they just were quite happy in the environment that they were in, so, fair enough. Good. Got, 
Carl: got, got to, to, got to that bit and was able to do the best for the, for the Hull rather than having to worry about bit of a
Carl: Oh, well they, 
Jack: like, they, they've been at, they've been at the club for 10 years plus I think Sam's just retired this year. So, you know, top, top, top. Try scorer for the club's history. , and then. Joe went on to play England Counties and Captain England Counties. So you sort of look at it and you go, well, fair enough.
Jack: And you can't, you can only respect it, you know. 
Carl: Yeah, that's that's [00:34:00] that's quality. , with this season, then what's what's your what's your opinion of of the league? And I know you guys set a target. Who do you think your biggest biggest challenge? Obviously, you've you've played a few of the top teams around you.
Carl: And obviously gone, you've had a few away days. So you're probably hoping that the home advantage towards the end of the season will work in your favor. Who's who's the one in that league that or the few in the league that you think are going to really run your close? 
Jack: , I think what TJ's have already beaten us, , which left, like I said, left a very sour taste in our mouth because I think we, we should have won that game.
Carl: Yeah. , 
Jack: Barnes, we just played them and I scored the, scored the winner, which I'm not, not going to forget. , they, they're a very well drilled team and they'll, they'll be able to play. , and then you've got, , Dorking who are only on their tails as well, which we've got, who we've got in a few weeks. So I think we, I think there's about three or four teams that could do, do anyone, but I think, I think [00:35:00] we've, we've always said on our day, if we, if we play how we want to play, play our structures, we're unplayable.
Jack: So it's just that level of confidence we bring in, which is good. 
Carl: Looks like there's a couple of teams that have sort of drifted away at the bottom as well. Is it Sevenoaks and 
Jack: You've got Sevenoaks, Oxford, , Colchester. But to be fair, those two, two of those teams have just come up this year. It's always, it's always an adjustment.
Jack: It's always, they could hit their straps after Christmas, after adapting a little bit. So you never know what's going to happen the other side. 
Carl: No, I see it. I think Havant have obviously put a bit of a bit of a flag in the ground. They seem to have taken a little bit better to it, as you said, but it's a long season and obviously if you've got some long journeys in there as well to throw in the mix, that must affect a lot of the teams because even just going to Canterbury.
Carl: It's a long old day trip as it is, even if you're on the mainland, let alone coming from you guys as well. Do you, is there many days that you have to sort of, they say, right, [00:36:00] actually, we're going to stay away the Friday night. We're going to do the journey the day before, or is it, is it all on a Saturday and you've all just got to adapt and figure that out as you get 
Jack: there?
Jack: Um, I think they, they did one last year. I can't remember who they played, but they're not in the league anymore. I cannot. They were, that was a niggly one. That was Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Yeah. , we did Havant too. We've already played Havant away. , that was a big day, but we ended up doing a social down in Brighton afterwards, which was, , which was fun.
Jack: , I think we've got, I think we're staying over again against Barry, maybe. I'm not, I'm not too sure, but there's, I think we'll always travel on the Saturday., but it could be. Ends on obviously flight and ticket allocations as well. If some of us has to stay over for the Sunday morning, like you, you just don't know.
Jack: But nine times out of 10 you're coming back on the Saturday. So 
Carl: fair enough. , that must be what, what, what is the run of shore? Like obviously you guys on the piss in Guernsey is probably a fairly common situation, but it seems to catch a [00:37:00] lot of premiership. Players out, they seem to end up with a rap sheet.
Carl: Is it that sort of a situation or is it people just seem to let loose and think it's abroad? They don't, they're not worried about himself. How's that? How do so many people get caught out? 
Jack: , I think from what, again, from what I've been told and from recent stories, which I've definitely kind of disclosed, , yeah, I think a lot of people just let loose and then the police over here are actually quite strict, , Especially when you're out drinking, because they're always patrolling.
Jack: So you've got to be behaviour, make sure you know someone that can keep you out of trouble effectively. Nice. 
Carl: Must be. So what's the, I've never actually made it over to Guernsey yet. So what's the, what's the ground set up? And, , how's, how is that? Have they got big plans for that? Or is it pretty much at a capacity ready to, to go up through the leagues as well?
Carl: Is it, is it ready and set? The ability of the clubs, they're ready for the, any progression naturally upwards. 
Jack: Yeah. , I think we're, we're quite [00:38:00] fortunate. So you go into, you go into the grounds, you've got the big athletic track around the pitch. , I would honestly say it's probably one of the nicest pitches I've ever played on.
Jack: , part bar in a 4g, but it's very, very well maintained because we have the football team play on there as well. Okay. But it just, it's like a carpet. It's brilliant. Well, the picture's amazing for what you want. , we have a gym on site there as well, so we can use it as players, which is also, , the, the stands, I don't actually know how much it holds, but it's just, it's the seats have just been redone, I think as well.
Jack: So, you know, it's all the bars been redone. So it all, it's all up to a very good standard. The change rooms aren't small. They're not bleak. They're not horrible. It's a very well run and looked after club, which is, it makes playing there a lot easier. You don't want to turn up to, you know, you don't want to turn up to a team you want to play for.
Jack: And it's just dingy and horrible. It doesn't exactly get you, but not 
Carl: when you've got aspirations to go, to [00:39:00] go as high as possible. That's the thing. Like you've got, they've got to set it up. And I think that's what Havant have also done recently as well to, to be fair to them. They've, they've made some big, big strides and changes in that, that 4g pitch.
Carl: , made a massive difference for Havant, , did you ever play Havant, but when you're sort of new Milton, , where did you ever have to go out there as a kid and the old,, Leigh Park gardens as it probably is effectively known as. 
Jack: Yeah, well, it was, , it was definitely, cause I remember that game.
Jack: It was great. Cause it's like, like I said, closest I've been to playing at home in 10 years. And, , it was nice cause my mum turned up and she, it was good cause she, my mum used to be my coach. We used to go. Every Sunday in play or, you know, it was just, it was nice. It was nice memories. So it was, , it was definitely way nicer to play on it.
Jack: And I'd never actually won that until this. So it was nice to actually win that and, you know, shut the supporters up because they were giving me, giving me a bit of stick on the sidelines. Yeah, they're 
Carl: good. They're good [00:40:00] for that to be fair. But, , Jack, it's been an absolute pleasure to get you on. I know I've jumped, you've jumped on on your lunch break, mate.
Jack: It's 
Carl: been, it's been quality. Hopefully I can actually get over. I'm looking at trying to get the sign off from the Mrs. See if I can get away for a weekend and , come and join you on Guernsey, mate,, for the, for the double header in January. So, , for just, just one last thing from you, Jack, for anyone that's thinking about doing this, doing the same as what you've done, how did you go about it?
Carl: Is it a case of just make as many contacts as possible or Just ask the question, just go and say, right, I want to go and do this and see who can help open that door. 
Jack: , to be, to be fair, I'll always, I've, I've always been very, very fortunate with the coaches and the people I've had around me. So, you know, it goes, it goes back to being on the seventh circuit, meeting Alex Crockett.
Jack: And then the next coach I had after that was Mikey Munger, Tanu Munger's brother up in Hull as well. So, and [00:41:00] you know, you go over to NZ and then you're training and playing with. Eric Rush. Yeah. Which is great. Then I think it's a case of once, never be afraid to ask. Yeah. Always, always out there and the worst thing they can say is no, is no.
Jack: Yeah. There's no, there's no issue with that. And if, if you are good enough and you've got the highlights to back it up and support what you're saying, yeah. There's no reason why they should say no. So, yeah, it's, um, it's experiences that I'll always, always treasure and always, always tell people to go and do.
Jack: So yeah, you've got to do it. So yeah. Yeah. 
Carl: Quality. Jack, thank you for your time, mate. Really appreciate it. And, uh, hopefully we, uh, we actually get the beat in person when, uh, the double, the double header happens. 
Jack: I will, we'll take you down to the Swan and Follies, mate. I'm sure the boys will get, will get ripped into it.
Jack: No 
Carl: worries about that. I'm sure I can have a little drink with you guys as well. 
Jack: Awesome. 
Carl: Top man. Cheers Jack. Really appreciate it mate. Cheers. 
Jack: No worries. 
Right, , that brings another episode of Rugby Through The League's podcast to an end. , this week we had Jack [00:42:00] Colborne on. And,, yeah, another great guest. Been, , been about a bit. Played in New Zealand. Unable to pass on, , some experience for people that want to be able to travel around. , it is now confirmed also I've got my tickets to go to the Guernsey Doubleheader.
So we'll be able to see Jack on the pod again hopefully in, , in January. So, yeah, can't wait to get over there and do that, but Now,, it's now time to, to get onto the Uruguay Spain game, so I'll give you a bit of a feedback on that as we go and then, , yeah, , last episode will be coming out next week.
, still unsure what we're going to do, but I think we might do a, a final review of what we've done so far and reiterate with the plans and where we're going and what we're doing. So for everyone for joining and, , keep safe, , keep sharing, keep liking, keep commenting, subscribe to the pod, and, , Thank you, and goodbye.
[00:43:00]