Jason & Bedazzled

Back to the day job!   

    

Jason & Bedazzled at the Press Conference!

For Jason Robinson it must have been one of the strangest days in his life.  It was a day of triumph and a day of drudgery; a day of elation and a day of exhaustion; a day that dreams are made of and day when he just went back to work. And he handled it all – just as he handled the World Cup campaign – with calm control, total professionalism and devotion to duty.

 

I refer to last Saturday, the day that Jason made his return to the pitch in Sale colours after seven long months away doing his bit for England.   After the normal pre-match preparations, it began for him in a blaze of glory when he led the team out on to the pitch to a cacophony of sound from the delighted fans in the first ever Sale full house at Edgeley Park.

 

And, in what for him must have been an especially poignant moment, he ran out to the strains of “We Are The Champions”, the fervent hymn of Wigan Rugby League Club – the club where Jason first became a legend in the days when Wigan always were the champions.

 

And all this just after England Coach Clive Woodward had paraded the glittering Rugby World Cup around the ground – the cup that Jason helped bring home with that incisive try that united him with England fans around the world in a moment of delirious joy.

 

But then the party was over for Jason, and for him it was time to go back to the day job ….. a job he does so well, playing and working for his team, his club and for the fans.

 

First he played his part in the match against the Cardiff Blues. Not quite at his scintillating best -- hardly to be expected after the emotional roller-coaster of the past weeks and months. But a good professional performance highlighted by some excellent and much-needed work in defence. And he did his bit to achieve victory in a close, hard-fought match – a victory that can only encourage the record sellout crowd to come back for more.

 

Then, while some of his aching team-mates were looking forward to a good meal and  a relaxing Saturday night out, he just had time for a quick shower before donning a smart suit ready for the rest of the evening’s work.

 

First up was a huge posse of  some 80 eager fans – prizewinners in a contest to have their picture taken with Jason and the Cup. Not the most exciting work for a world superstar, but work he carried out with a will, knowing as he does just how much it means to the lucky winners and how important it is to the club. Work which was rewarded towards the end of the session by the sheer delight spread across the face of one teenage girl whose magical moment with her hero will remain with her for ever.

 

Then it was time for some real graft – facing the press for interviews. By this time he was looking and no doubt feeling like the man who had just set foot on the moon and then crashed back down to earth. But there to help him was his friend and colleague media manager Dave Swanton, marshalling the press like a sergeant-major with his wayward troops after running his own hard-fought campaign all week.

 

So Jason stiffened his back, stood his ground, and faced the pack – dealing with all the questions with quick, astute answers that gave away not too much but were still straight to the point.

 

And for Sale fans, he had a special message, saying “The response I got from the crowd was brilliant and even the players have been talking about this game all week, knowing the size of the crowd. We really wanted to win this game for them and I hope they will want to come back again.

 

“To have a sellout here was just magnificent. It’s great that fans could see the World Cup, and it’s great that we were able to win and send them home with a smile on their faces.”

 

So, he’d returned home in triumph, helped win an important match, posed for dozens of photos and handled the press pack with aplomb. Enough for one day surely.

 

No chance. Now, when he must have been dying to get home to his beloved family, it was time for the last job of the day, the important work of corporate glad-handing – meeting and mingling with club sponsors, staff and clients.

 

He must have felt much like the Queen does at the end of a tiring day when there is yet another crowd of admirers to be acknowledged. But at least he had one good thought to keep him going …..

 

On the Monday he was due to meet the Queen, who manages to deal with pressing crowds of people while staying charming and composed. So at least he could ask her for some tips.

 

And after that -- Well, back to the day job again ….. and the not so little matter of trying to win the Heineken Cup.

 

 

Note: Many thanks to Major Bloodnok for boldly leading our skirmish into prawn sandwich territory; to iBozz for his splendid photos and invaluable support; and above all to Her Ladyship for the priceless bottles of the Stockport Express's favorite tipple that sustained us during the long wait for an audience with the great man.

 

 

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