Shute Shield: Tokyo Olympic sevens hopeful Rod Davies at West Harbour Pirates
Why this rugby stalwart and West Harbour Pirates recruit is able to put a positive spin on the Tokyo Olympics being held a year later than planned.
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It was hard for most athletes to see the positive side of the Tokyo Olympic postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic but Australian Sevens rugby star Rod Davies could..
The man dubbed Rocket Rod by teammates during a professional career spanning more than a decade, realised it meant he had another year under his belt to bring him up to speed in the Sevens format of the game.
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The Rockhampton born, Ipswich raised player, now living in the Sydney suburb of Kingsgrove, is a relatively recent recruit to what he describes as the “helter skelter” world of Rugby Sevens.
“The extra year will be good for me fitness wise,” said father-of-two Davies, 31.
“I know what is required to play at the highest level. It’s gives me time to get my body right, more training and learning more about the game.
“I’ve only been doing it a year.”
Davies is playing in the Shute Shield club rugby competition with the West Harbour Pirates but recently sidelined with a broken finger.
Davies career has seen him play in France and Japan, for Westerns Force and the Queensland Reds before crossing over in sevens rugby for a shot at the Olympics.
“I was at a crossroads,” Davies said. “I played with Tim Walsh (Australian coach) and he asked me to come train with the Olympics as a carrot.
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“I didn’t want to have any regrets looking back on my carer and to have had a change of going to an Olympics but not doing it.”
Despite the injury which saw him in the stands for the Pirates first win of the season over Manly in round six, Davies is enjoying his foray into the premier club competition in NSW
“I’ve never played Shute Shield before but I’m always keen to play some 15s again,” he said.
“It’s great to be playing football. I’m at the end of my career and I love playing football so to go for a year without would have been tough.
“There are there a lot of good guys floating around, stuck in limbo and transition. It’s hard.”