Best or Worst Rugby Player You Have Met.

[formerlyfastwing]

Post your experiences, postive or negative.

Met a couple:

Jason Leonard: The Fun Bus didn't get that name for nothing. Great player, and even better guy.

Christian Cullen: My man crush......met him when he played in Calgary with the Maori.

Norm Barryman: Like a crazed hyena......man that fella could drink.

Austin Healey: Met him in Calgary when he and Martin Johnson we visiting Dave Lougheed. He was really nice fella. In fact, some buddies and I were watching our U-18 game, and we saw him further down the touchline watching. I went up introduced myself, and we chatted. I thought he would be a right prick (that was his reputation) but he was down to earth, and gushed on about Alberta. I offered to buy him a pint, as it was my home ground but he would have none of it. He pulled out a wad that would have choked a donkey and bought.

Mike James: Any man that will let a drunk fan hug him while in his underwear is a winner in my books.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ugo Monye and Nick Easter are the best I've met - like real life Del Boys - really loud and cockney and full of banter

Asaeli Boko was a nice guy as well - seemed genuinely shocked to be a pro rugby player, and really happy/thankful for it too - had a lot of time for the Sale fans

Riki Flutey and Mark Cueto were really sound as well


Manu Tuilagi is as exuberant as he seems in post match interviews

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Rob Kearney is the coolest man you'll ever meet (except for Mr.T)

 

[Falvey]

Tommy Bowe - Top man. LOVES the lash, seem him in a state out in swansea many a time.

 

[McTallshort]

Post your experiences, postive or negative.

Met a couple:

Jason Leonard: The Fun Bus didn't get that name for nothing. Great player, and even better guy.

Christian Cullen: My man crush......met him when he played in Calgary with the Maori.

Norm Barryman: Like a crazed hyena......man that fella could drink.

Austin Healey: Met him in Calgary when he and Martin Johnson we visiting Dave Lougheed. He was really nice fella. In fact, some buddies and I were watching our U-18 game, and we saw him further down the touchline watching. I went up introduced myself, and we chatted. I thought he would be a right prick (that was his reputation) but he was down to earth, and gushed on about Alberta. I offered to buy him a pint, as it was my home ground but he would have none of it. He pulled out a wad that would have choked a donkey and bought.

Mike James: Any man that will let a drunk fan hug him while in his underwear is a winner in my books.

Well Alberta is a very sound place, I went twice and loved it both times. Sorry cannot say I have ever met a pro player....met plenty of good ones at Grass roots!

 

[Thingimubob]

Tommy Bowe - Top man. LOVES the lash, seem him in a state out in swansea many a time.

I've heard that too, one of the friendliest blokes you'll ever meet according to my irish friend who bumped into him in Swansea city centre. Have heard of people seeing him legless on Wind Street too, haven't seen him out and about since I've been there yet.

Anyway - Ray Gravell, I don;t actually remember meeting him as I was very little, was with my dad and was stood next to him on a crowded train my dad never really likes going up to famous people on the street, but he's a huge fan of Ray Gravell so just kind of nodded to him and said 'Grav' to which Ray turned round and said started talking to him as if he'd known my dad for years. One of the friendliest, nicest blokes to have ever lived

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Shane, although it was just a fleeting "Can you sign this? You're my hero." thing. Otherwise, I had Freddie Tuilagi take a fitness session for us once, and let me tell you- I'll never say anything about the Samoans fallnig off in the last 15-20 minutes ever again.

Worst? Harry Ellis. Not only was he crap, he's thick and fancies himself. Hardly the recipe for a perfect player.

 

[big ginger 8]

Jack McGrath
Joe Rokocoko
Tana Umaga
Cian Healy
Dan Carter
Brian O'Driscoll
Shane Jennings all pretty nice

Ollie le Roux brushed me off as an 8 year old lucking for an auto-graph so in my eyes PRICK

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Gordan D'Arcy and Felipe Contipomi both gave me high five's when I was 10 so they are also both legends.
Johnny Sextons nice but a bit boring same with Shane Jennings but they did let me hold the HCup a couple years ago.
I've been within meters of Luke Fitzgerald but he was being sexually assaulted by teenage girls at the time.
Paul O'Connell and Peter Stringer have VERY white teeth.

 

[04perryo]

Andy Goode and shaun perry: Not the slimmest pairing but they r top lads

 

[Shaggy]

Post your experiences, postive or negative.

Met a couple:

Jason Leonard: The Fun Bus didn't get that name for nothing. Great player, and even better guy.

Christian Cullen: My man crush......met him when he played in Calgary with the Maori.

Norm Barryman: Like a crazed hyena......man that fella could drink.

Austin Healey: Met him in Calgary when he and Martin Johnson we visiting Dave Lougheed. He was really nice fella. In fact, some buddies and I were watching our U-18 game, and we saw him further down the touchline watching. I went up introduced myself, and we chatted. I thought he would be a right prick (that was his reputation) but he was down to earth, and gushed on about Alberta. I offered to buy him a pint, as it was my home ground but he would have none of it. He pulled out a wad that would have choked a donkey and bought.

Mike James: Any man that will let a drunk fan hug him while in his underwear is a winner in my books.

Andrew Mehrtens was quite funny to talk to

... Todd Blackadder is a great guy

My daughter tells me Chris Jack is a real gentleman ... although I haven't met him ... she's way too young for him, and he's way too old for her ... teenage girls and their crushes

Robbie Deans signed my daughter's crusaders jersey in amongst a sea of kids wearing wallabies jerseys in Sydney, and said "well this is a nice jersey" ... so he was a good sport

I literally almost ran into Gary Whetton in Wellington back in his playing days ... i'm pretty big, but he's a hell of a lot bigger ... so it was a case of "sorry Mr Whetton"

My kids had Tana Umaga and Ritchie McCaw train them at a kids day in Nelson once ... they were great, as were the rest of the All Blacks

Lachie Turner gave me road directions once

... Surprisingly, none of the above wanted my autograph

... The worst will probably be a Formerly Fast Winger, that lives in Calgary ... but I haven't met him yet

 

[lucky number 7]

BOD seems like a top bloke the odd time I've seen / passed pleasantries.

Donnocha O' Callaghan is a proper gent as is Alan quinlan chatted a wee bit with both.

Would consider myself mates with an ex fijian international / 7's boy Vesi Raulini ,top bloke.


Talked to and played in 7's tourny with this guy..he is a sick player. seemed a decent guy too

 

[LittleGuy]

... The worst will probably be a Formerly Fast Winger, that lives in Calgary ... but I haven't met him yet

I'm not going to lie I almost spit my beer out at that one....

We should get a thread on other sports athletes you've met , I have run into a few NHL guys over the years.

 

[formerlyfastwing]

i am hurt......like a delicate flower after a hail storm

 

[Shaggy]

I'm not going to lie I almost spit my beer out at that one....

We should get a thread on other sports athletes you've met , I have run into a few NHL guys over the years.

Hehe ... yep, FFW will probably kill me slowly for that remark ... hopefully with Alcohol ... good idea on the thread

 

[nickdnz]

I organised Jonah Lomu to come to my highschool a couple of years ago while he was raising money for Starship hospital. Interesting guy. Seemed pretty nice, but even after the speech everything he said seemed like a disguised boast. Regardless, pretty amazing guy.

When I was around 6 years old, I remember very clarely getting all the 1998 All Blacks on my Planet 8 hat (and for some reason the autograph of the directer of TV3...). I remember going up to Jeff Wilson for his autograph and when he signed Goldie I had the nerve of saying "Who are you" He just laughed and chucked my a new ball. What a champ.

In more modern times, I've had a few drinks with Andrew Hore, Jason Eaton and Ma'a Nonu when they come into Monteiths. Eaton and Hore are two of the most down to earth, Naki bogans I've ever met. Really cool guys.

 

[Dexternz]

Richie mccaw - very nice guy

Ali Williams - biggest asshole I ever met... Sooo full of himself

 

[Black Heart]

I met Bull Allen when I was in my early teens. Real top bloke IMO. He obviously had no idea who I was but he was kind enough to have a good talk with me and a couple of mates in the club rooms.

I've met Norm Hewitt on a couple of occasions as well. Same as above, the nicest down-to-Earth guy.

I've never met Luke Mcalistar or Ali Williams but have heard from others that they're both the world's biggest prats. Not that that should come as any surprise.

I was at a 7s competition in rural Northland recently and Rene Ranger turned up on 4 wheeler wearing a hoodie. One of the kids kicked the ball over to him and instead of getting off his bike and kicking it back he just pulled a big donut and sped off. I love him as a player but that occasion has left an impression on me.

Dan Carter is the most humble guy you could ever meet.

 

[matt.price]

Rush from Cardiff blues was real cool, mentioned how tall I was and said he'll see me in a few years Also Shane Williams and andy Powell were happy to give a picture

 

[TRF_heineken]

Nice Guys: Victor Matfield, but that's because we played cricket together.
Danie Rossouw, man that guy can drink!!
Pierre Spies, very humble
Shane Williams, met him in Hatfield Square during the B&I lions tour in 2009. he wanted to learn some Afrikaans so that he could nail an Afrikaans girl. after some drinking he could only say "Baie Dankie" coz it sounded like "Buy a Donkey". dunno if he went home with her that night...

Assholes:
Derick Kuhn - Total ********
Pedrie Wannenburg - Sniff Sniff