Jake Henry is a professional rugby player, recently representing Scotland in Rugby 7’s at the HSBC World Series and the 2022 Commonweath Games in Birmingham.
In this episode Jake discusses:
- The challenge of being a student athlete.
- The Highs and Lows in his career so far.
- How he dealt with being injured and going from “the bunker to the gym and back” during the covid restrictions.
- How a nasty achilles rupture resulted in an unforeseen opportunity in Rugby 7’s.
- Making his debut in the HSBS World Series against South Africa.
- Being selected to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
- What he took away from his time at the Commonwealth Games.
- His ambitions for the upcoming rugby season and beyond.
- Contemplating life after rugby.
You can listen to the episode in full here.
You can learn more about Jake by following him on Instagram at: @jakehenryy_ .
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You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .
Rob Anderson
Jake It’s awesome to have you on the podcast mate. Thanks for your time today.
Jake Henry
Yeah, no, that’s good to be here.
Rob Anderson
You’ve been a busy guy with the Commonwealth Games in Australia the preseason so no rest for the wicked.
Jake Henry
Yer I know it’s been a quick turnaround yeah finish finish up games then a lot of week off just to you know, get the body safe the body and then back in relative back.
Rob Anderson
So we’ll dive into the Commonwealth Games but before we do that, let’s get dig into the backstory for you so take us back to when you were a kid or teenager what were the sports activities you were doing? You know, was it mixed? Was it always rugby? Was it something completely different?
Jake Henry
Are the hours definitely always like it was mixed though did pretty much I pretty much played anything anything. The fair bit of badminton played legit play most boys had the main things probably did badminton and then athletics are quite enjoyed those field events and a lot of long jump and triple jump. did a bit of the sprinting. And then there will be a bit of football. And then yeah, cheer rugby was probably a later sport that I actually started playing kind of went more again because I played rugby it was really the last one I did start playing and then carry on playing them and then it came to a point where I was told if you want to take you’ve got the potential to do well in this you’re going to have to pick like one or the other so I think is fair you currently keep going around all these different sports that we get.
Rob Anderson
So what age were you in rugby appeared on the scene? I
Jake Henry
think was it at a minimum primary I five
Jake Henry
or six of the
Jake Henry
whole event been like 1011
Jake Henry
and then yeah, played it just a wee bit like so I would go on the Saturdays and just trading just read about it was was a sort of a game. So I think Ross Sutherland I didn’t think anything really much of it just enjoyed it. And it was something else to do on a Saturday just to have something to do. And yeah, we were just keep playing, keep playing and then started to then when it got to when you can actually play games. And there’s less games you end up teams, I think it was I think what was the common when it happened, but it was just we were playing just these games and then those people just watching Caledonia Academy we’re watching and then from there, I sort of got invited to go do this. And I’m say Yeah, more rugby more rugby. So and I’m still doing other sports at this point. Just like to still not really take it too serious just going around and then think it was would have been under sixteens was a Cali under 16 It’s one of the coaches was like It’s good that you’re still playing all these other things because you’ve got the potential to go quite far in this. So it’s just a sort of a conversation might have to have like with yourself parents just do you want to just do rugby or join a keep going on doing like yeah, athletics and whatnot. But yeah, it’s probably been a little bit yeah. 1615 When I was a write rugby, and then stopped playing the other stuff. Hmm.
Rob Anderson
So looking back, is there a particular coach that stands out to you is the one who kind of lit the spark in you in terms of the bug for rugby, or did it just kind of gradually grow.
Jake Henry
It just gradually grew I feel like all the coaches, I had all i There was never someone really introduced it and was like, this is rugby then I was like, ah, rugby, so like played and just enjoyed it. But now I feel like I just like free playing and playing and playing and then being like, quite good at just Well, I wouldn’t say I was actually credited right. I think I was just good at running a bag. Just I was a lot faster than a lot of the people. So I just enjoy just a, you know, getting into those lesser foot races and stuff. And I just really enjoyed it. So I just kept going back to it. But yeah, I don’t think there’s anyone really that showed me that I just automatically fell in love languages over time. I was just learning and then because the game changes every time you go up in eighth grade, because there’s like you start so you literally just pass and run. And then there’s little things that get added and then you’ve got kick in and as you can use a friend at this point and there’s just loads of different things I just kept developing. So it was always interesting for me, so I kept going back to it. Hmm, awesome.
Rob Anderson
And then obviously, you kind of made the moves through the academy system. So tell us a bit about your journey in the sport. What did you What did you find that kind of balance when you’re still studying in the background? And how to train? How did you find life as a student athlete? Was that pretty tough? Yeah,
Jake Henry
for me, yeah, that was something that I found quite hard because I think it was you’d get. So when you’re at that point where it was moved to the borders, and it was like this was to do like academy training, like properly, to then try and get a contract with Edinburgh, sort of thing, and you want to make it 20 years and want to do this. So you’re so focused on the rugby PA, and then you also have, I was doing college at the time, and it was like, you have to then have to do this thing outside of that. And sometimes it was like, it’s something I think everyone, you have to definitely go through being able to deal with two things. But me personally, I think looking back at it, I wish that I still think I wouldn’t have changed it. Because it is definitely definitely learned things have helped right now, going through that having two things to have to deal with. But it is it does add a layer of stress because when they say rugby isn’t going well something and you’re so focused on that, but then you have this something else to focus on. Sometimes it can be a good distraction, and other times you can feel like you’re getting distracted. Other thing you want to do, you need to understand where you just need to be honest with yourself or where you want to go at that point. Because if it is rugby then me personally, I think you should, you should back your decision on you go rugby, so then you focus on the rugby, but if you’re realistic yourself, at this stage, maybe rugby is not fully like on the table to go there, then it’s good to have two things because then you can have that mix between you’re still doing both, and you’re still going up. But you’re not like I need to get ahead now. So I think a is a certain use. So therefore, I think that’s what my learning from it was is you need to understand when you can sort of kick on and when you can just keep everything ticking over. And like constantly getting better at two things. But then there’s a time where you have to be like cry a bit selfish and just focus on the one thing, or I feel like you can’t go like that, but then you sort of just get stuck in this weird spot where everyone else is pushed on. And you’ve not really had the same amount of time or even put the same amount of effort in because of other things.
Rob Anderson
So tell us a bit you know people often see on paper, you know athletes doing well like you know, getting to the Commonwealth Games, etc. But they don’t always know the backstory and your backstory has got a fair few highs and lows in it. So let’s start with the highs looking back, what are some of the moments where you’re like yeah, that was a real high in your journey today.
Jake Henry
Yeah, so I feel like 20s has always been I think 20 is probably my all the age base stuff I hate just 20s as a whole because that’s sort of like your the end of that sort of age grade thing and it’s there’s loads more sort of media coverage around it and it feels a lot more professional but to now now at times like all of them are quite good good at that but when I was doing it 20s was like that to be all eyes on that sort of thing. So 20 is probably one of my my first like big big big moments and then would have been the did you work cup that steals the southern knights be Newcastle Falcons I think they got what pacto Stadium at the Newcastle Falcons place. And I hate just playing in front of that many people was like a it was just made me want like a hunger to do it again. Because I feel like everyone’s gonna remember their first time playing in front of the big crowd. Because it’s a is cool. It definitely does add another factor to the game. And I would say yes, it’s super sixes and sevens go and go on to the sevens. Did what two tournaments done Spain, Seville and Malaga, then Singapore and Vancouver. And then and probably the most recent one is Commonwealth was definitely up there as my top top achievement for my career so far. It’s it’s still still feels weird that I can say that I’ve gone to a Commonwealth Games. It’s very cool. But yeah, so that’s for my definitely my, my top top current moment.
Rob Anderson
So let’s talk about sevens because it’s a bit of a funny one as a player who’s like, you know, trying to aim for the fifteens game. It’s kind of this thing that is in the background, isn’t it and then all of a sudden, are you kind of getting right along so what was that? discussion like when seven suddenly popped up as being a route for you? Yeah.
Jake Henry
So yeah, it’s just not something that I never really thought about doing really, it was barely played it when I was younger as well. I think I did probably like to sort of tournaments of sevens. And that’s just the classic, you get to the end of the season, and then they start doing 70 You just play some. And it was like, it’s always good fun. And like sevens is fun. Doesn’t matter what type or what level we do. It is fun game. But yeah, didn’t really feel bad doing it. But then with certain circumstances with I picked her like a big injury when I first moved to Edinburgh, and then we’ll just do that interview, and then the sevens because of COVID. That was a COVID, do sevens pretty much just stopped when COVID was going on. And the head coach Kiran ve was the temporary Academy, like Coach, Edinboro, so I would be, like just doing my gym and whatnot, just trying to get back from my injury. And then he would do skill sessions with me. I just do very static static stuff, just passing. And I feel like, so I’ve got a good sort of relationship built up with him. And then throughout the year going on, and then contracts coming up. He was saying that, you know, he was impressed with like, my skills and stuff. So he’s like, if fifteens doesn’t work, there’s always an opportunity in seventh sort of seen as like a theme, so they don’t really worry about a future bill. So it’s like it was nice hearing that from someone like him. And then come, rugby sort of gets back to the flow, play Super six, do a couple games for Super six. And then yeah, I find out that a couple of us are getting loaned out to the sevens. And I was just like, and my name was on it. And I was like, I’ll ask that’s actually pretty cool. Because they right now there’s no real rugby being played. And it’s a good time to just keep it going keep the ball going on it. So yeah, loaned out and then you know, trained well done enough to impress him in like sevens ability and then got selected for the Spain on.
Rob Anderson
So let’s talk about your debut. So did you say was Seville Malaga that
Jake Henry
you make debut? It would have been? It was. Yeah.
Rob Anderson
Do you remember the first the first match? Who was your opposition?
Jake Henry
Yeah, it was in those plates Africa. First game, and it was a just with how sevens works. I felt like are probably not going to play this game. I think they’re gonna just run with it. But the main boys and I probably won’t really come on the field. And then it was looking at because time goes so quick. And sevens game you think right? I was looking at the clock as I asked us to go right. Pretty much that I don’t think I’m going on and then turn around and Peter’s like, right, you’re on G? Like, right. So first, this is pretty much my first time of pro rugby. So a thing. Like, right as kickoff goes. I hate to fair sofka We’re on the money on this one. But I remember hate the only thing I think I did was I ended up I ended up tackling. AKA can’t find his name of the line. And it was like that was that was the end of the game. And I felt like I did one thing there. And I was just like, that’s it. We’re done that. But yeah, it was sort of like a lot of us because it was loads of debuts in our game. Because that sevens team has a lot. A lot of young boys in it. We will all sort of just say, can we just play a game like did we have we just played a game for Scotland sevens. But yeah, that’s something you do get used to is how that sort of tidy you’re on, you’re off sort of thing. It was different coming from because all of us came from fifteens not really having that sort of sales experience. But now it was good. It was good. We tasted it and got a wee bit more on the other games. So it was okay for the first tournament I enjoyed myself.
Rob Anderson
Nice easy opposition for your first games. So let’s dig into the Commonwealth Games. So when did you find out you’re getting picked for commonwealth and then what did that look like in terms of going into the whole encamp the whole you know, athlete village that kind of situation took us through the Commonwealth Games experience. Yeah, so,
Jake Henry
Commonwealth so they had there was a six week training block for it. So they said selection was like a comment with a date. And they were like pretty much narrowed down to we were really late on actually being public on what squad was. And that was just coming from BT. So just use a, it’s just really tough to pick a team right now with the boys that are in. So we had like, I think it was like three weeks. Was it two, three or two weeks of just training and no one knowing who’s been selected. So those, those those good couple of weeks were a tense that you could tell they’re just the competitive nature from everyone. And it was there are gruelling, those first two were tough, because it was the edge of fitness games. And then everyone knowing that everything you do here is gonna put you higher up this list that’s getting picked. And only 30. You can go. So it was yeah, it was tough. But by the end of those those weeks, yeah, I got pulled aside. And he said, Yeah, I want to take you for the, for the Commonwealth Games. And then it’s like that sort of feeling where you’re like, you’ve just been told the news, yuan. But then there’s still so many more weeks to go, and you still need to get prep for them. So it was a good, good reboost. And then yeah, throughout that training, sort of, you know, again, in what are tactical technical stuff for each team, so I think, show different scenarios and whatnot, of how we’re going to play and then they go, and then yeah, then start where we’re getting close to the time. It’s like getting sizes for your kit and stuff. But that’s always a good part of you make any sort of team you get you get your kit bag. And then for us to be sponsored by Nike as well. Like everyone was like, right. Make sure these all fit good, because some some decent bits, stats we’re getting there. But yeah, so we go and we go to Merrifield for the like photos and headshots of everything. And yeah, they’ve got our kit kit there. So we’ll try it on. And then we’ve got to wear the actual plane jerseys. And it was just cool to see everything just before like going in that. And then we did leave at a big got bus to come up with first pleasure. First place we went because well, the rugby was held at the Ricoh arena. So we were at a place called Work University where they turned into the village for us and it was a couple other sports and there was judo, boxing and wrestling, I think one the same week as the rugby. And they had. So it was pretty much like just like a hallway, it was just pretty much it was a village of you’d have different houses. So I think we were just dying from the Australian team. And then thank you was paying Wales were just up from us as well. And it was cool. It was just how everything was everything was sort of just absolutely everything was so close. We had what was it little Grab and Go stations to surround and they had just like array of foods that you could just go get and then the canteen had all different types of foods you had Jake, African, Caribbean, European, Asian, and you just go around and pick what you want. And it was it was very cool. We got treated very well. They’re very cool place. A shame it wasn’t with everyone. Because I think that would have been something that would have been just cool to see see in a couple of the track athletes and that the ones that usually we see on TV, but it was really cool.
Rob Anderson
Did it feel different? Because obviously in sevens often times you’d be might be staying in the same hotel as that South African team or the you know, the the Kiwi team or whatever. So you’re not It’s not unusual in sevens to be alongside some of your opponents. But they have a different feel this this time round.
Jake Henry
Yeah, cuz I felt like it was more because it was less. In a sense, it was similar, but also I think it was different just because of the way it was done. And how it was very, wasn’t like sectioned off, but you could just the way they done the rooms. It was like parts team Scotland. And then there’s like Australia, there’s Wales and like so and so. And it was very, it just the way they presented it and like the aesthetic of it was very cool and new. But yeah, in a sense, it was very similar to you’re sort of going around the hotel and you’re bumping into other teams. But the way it was done was was new and yeah, it’s quite sad. and just go in there for the first time.
Rob Anderson
So what about stepping on the pitch the first game? What did that feel like that feel different to the HSBC World Series? Was this different? Because it was in the UK
Jake Henry
100% I think there’s also there was more people there because we Yeah, so they had first first day it wasn’t that packed but they pretty much had the one side pretty much like covered and yeah, I think I came I came off the bench and yeah, Harvey done nice bit of work in the middle just bounced got on to they ended up getting dragged me in between two guys and then threw a nice we offload to me and my first touch was literally just finishing off what Harvey has created. So it was cool just for my first touch to have you know, the crowd going and then it’s just now I’m just running running it in for trice. Like, yeah, so? First Asher Commonwealth, I don’t think he could ask for anything more than that. So yeah, it was yours. Very cool. Very cool moment.
Rob Anderson
And I’m guessing I mean, the nature of the World Series being in South Africa, Singapore, Vegas. It’s not often that your parents so your friends and family are watching in person because probably you know, a live stream or TV. So did you have many people coming down to watch in person?
Jake Henry
No, I sadly didn’t. But I knew I had I knew they’d all be watching. At home, it was just a wee bit. The it was a wee bit is very different from a series sort of layout, because we would play one game, and then have eight hours and then play another one. So how tickets worked, it was like you would buy for a session and a session is one game. So usually if you’d have a normal and you could get that and then you can stay and watch all the different things and then say that one is late. So they had to like get rid of everyone stayed and then get more back in. So you just would have been awkward for like my fire to come down. Watch again, and then have eight hours in between them watch the next one. But they I wish they were there. But I also knew they would be watching anyway. So it was it was still one of those things.
Rob Anderson
For 14 minutes. Yeah.
Jake Henry
If you guys look at it realistically, yeah, it’s a big moment. But it’s also it’s like a massive gap between to do what?
Rob Anderson
So in terms of the results on the pitch, obviously a bit of a mixed bag for Scotland. So talk us through what went well, what do you think looking back, maybe a moments where you think our wish things had gone a bit differently there?
Jake Henry
Yeah, I felt first two games, we did everything that we wanted, we were playing how we’ve been training in the lead up to that everything was going really good. We knew Tonga were going to be physical and we had to just be just well structured against them, put them through certain phases, they naturally does tend to go for right they’ve not had the ball for a while. So that’s gonna go with trying to smoke the guy that’s in front of them and then we’d have to deal with that. And then say Malaysia it was gonna be like, they’re gonna be say like hard work in just like sort of gritty around every sort of like breakdown sort of thing. And again, it was sort of this kind of beat them with saw a bit of structure. And then also, we were also offloading games definitely helps something that we were quite naturally quite good at as a group when we first came together. And then yeah, staff calls worlds games where say, is tough to be a team on the money especially when it comes down to kick in if they’re kicking on a button sort of thing, especially in sevens and it’s that’s a hard thing to defend. So sort of a sudden has a bit of a hats off to them. Like they were really good that weekend. Fiji was one of those ones I think we were disappointed how we played I feel like kickoff for us something that we prize that like we praise ourselves long. We were just slightly slightly off it. But yeah, that’s one of those areas where if we could get the ball and just keep it away from them, because that’s then you give Fiji ball three times a score and two of them and yeah, it was just one of those ones. We wanted to keep the ball away from them. And then we did the opposite pretty much every sort of kickoff went to them and then they just keep ball and do all Fijians do run around one hand jacking around and then eventually over the line
Rob Anderson
Yeah, and no shame there and losing in the golden silver medalist. I mean obviously those two teams were really firing on all cylinders at the games and they
Jake Henry
Yeah, they were there on the money. So it was it was tough coming from we played two good games at Star and and we did have to then play some tough opponents were But I still think we should have done one way barrier against Fiji
Rob Anderson
so in terms of looking back, what is your biggest takeaway from the games? What looking back do you think those are my biggest learnings or even just some of the biggest experiences for you personally?
Jake Henry
Um
Jake Henry
I feel like experiences probably hang just as as a whole is a pain just being in that sort of those types of games, especially as like those that’s Africa and Fiji is one of those ones where it’s like, you want to play in those games you want to play against the best. And yes, force to for someone like me, I, my biggest takeaway from that is just the x that being exposed to the high level players. And like being able to attack against them defend against them, because that is like, that’s what it comes down to. Is that what that is what gets you better be like, being in that sort of situation? And when you’re under stress, and then what do you do to get out of it? And then what have you done? I train and while learning ways to how to sort things, I think those games where you actually start to become a better player because that’s when you has to be on the money and you have to understand what’s going on. So I think so yeah, just as the experience you play against top top level players.
Rob Anderson
Cool. So we’ve had some of the highest talks about, you know, Commonwealth Games talked about getting that seven star. It’s not all been sunshine and roses day you alluded to obviously, although it turned out to be an opportunity, there was a bit of a major injury. And obviously we know about South Africa and the MacPhail scholarship, we ended up with another injury as well. So talk us through some of the challenges that you face in this journey so far.
Jake Henry
Yeah, well, for me, start of my sort of injury. So I think has definitely been my hamstrings. I think I had an ongoing, just having problems and you’re very aware that like the Yeah, most of my academy was so trying to deal with this. Just just standard how he problems like nothing too serious, just constantly ongoing sort of thing. And yet, finally fixing them got to a point where backplane sort of thing and got fit for 20 years, play 20 years, and then COVID hit. So like everyone done nothing for nothing, but like just done our own sort of training for a couple of months. And then there was these voluntary sessions at Edinburgh, because this was when they moved Academy into a senior Academy. So they’re choosers select few to go train with the pro team. So was excited for that what put like, best foot forward and like best impression. So went along to these voluntary training sessions. And then first two weeks fine. Start the third week still find your sort of fitness, just straight line running, there was no contact and nothing just straight line running. Just fitness. And then yeah, we got to these, these fitness exercise called dirt track. And I usually it’s you run out to the five do down, up, come back to the line down up, and then you run out to tweet to come back. But we were doing them above the ground. So no, no doubt. So it was run to the Renton five backtrack. And then right off to the 22. I was doing a couple of activities. And then just like unluckily, one of the times and backtracking I go to push off with my left foot. As I’m stepping back and pushing off, just here a massive pop in the back of my foot. And the my flatmate at the time. And if it’s heaven was next to me, when it happened, I just remember him like running. And he’s like, look at over like, What the hell was that noise? Like, what just happened? And, yeah, so Pop Goes in my foot. And then my foot sort of just like flops down. And I’m holding it, and I can’t really move it there, my foots just sort of dead weight. To get the buggy, you get me into the physio room to have me facedown in the physio bed and check in the back of my back my foot. And I feel like within 30 seconds, they were like they knew exactly what I’d done. And then yeah, it was pretty quiet already saying anything. Had a couple of coaches come in, and that and they were like, oh, like how you doing? And I was just like, are you done? I’ve done so into my ankle, sort of thing. And then the coach goes speak to physios and then like, he was told what was done, and then was kind of like to me, it’s like, Oh, you’ll be alright, and then so I left. So then I was like, right. When I was asked, I was like so I’m guessing this is a bad one. And then they’re like, yeah, you’ve done a mid tech tendon rupture in your Achilles. And I was like, wow, so taken aback and then just broke into tears. I was like, that’s me done for ages now. Not going to be able to do any of the stuff I wanted to do. And then yeah, that was probably the other dark time in a just my rugby career, especially with it being COVID. And then, like having to learn how to walk again. And it’s just there’s things that you take for granted, but one it’s actually something that you that you have to like try and learn how to just walk again with something that’s like from someone who’s like, I enjoy sports and like being able to do things and like, screwing around and for that to just be taken away very very easily. was very hard time and then we couldn’t really go out for anything because of COVID So I’m saying and also flat at the time was one of those ones underneath. The grind so it was like I felt like I would see like no sunlight. And then when I would come in for physio, I’d be in a physio room and then would just be driven and Edinburgh gym is there’s there’s no white sacral dungeon pretty much. So I pretty much woke from a bunker through a dungeon for a year. So what was not amazing for headspace, so I think just constantly seeing dark place. But yeah, throughout that sort of going on and then getting towards the end of because it was a year long injury. So 11, actually 11 and 11 and a half months. But yeah, at this point, it’s like I was only contracted for a year. So now it’s getting to the point where contracts go around, and I’m thinking, I’ve not done anything, I’ve not done a single band rugby, they, there’s no reason for them to be like, stay here, we’ll give you another one. So I’m thinking, right, I’m gonna get the boot after this year, and saw just come from straight line reloading. Because those guys that I knew that were training, and they were told they were going, and I was like, if they’re going on definitely going. So I think like, cuz there’s some really good players that were leaving that year. So I was like, boss isn’t gonna, as I says, this is like, just a bad situation to be in. But then, I don’t know, just, I think just musta had him on a lucky day. recently got called as the head coach at the time, I’m gonna say in that though, he was like, still want to, like keep you on wanna see what you can do, because it’d be like wrong of us to just leave a young player that has done what they’ve done. And then not even, like, give them a chance to see it. So I pretty much just got like a, like a redo on my contract to pretty much everything the same. And just do it again for another year. So I was kind of just like, a lot sort of lifted off my shoulders after that, because it’s always, like a lot of people do say, you can only control the controllables and stuff. And you shouldn’t really worry about it. But it is tough when you know like your job is like done with NDA. And you don’t know if you’re going to come back and like what you’ve done. It’s like you’re a rubber pen there. And I played to a rugby that year. So it was like how am I can actually get one but I know I was it was very high. It was one of those things I think Edinburgh as a as a club is like is very supportive. And I feel like they didn’t have to do that for me. So I’m very thankful that they’ve done that because I wouldn’t be here don’t have done the things I’ve done if that if I didn’t get given that extra contract. So yeah,
Rob Anderson
that’s fair to say when you’re sitting there, going from the bunker to the dungeon and back again, the Commonwealth Games as a rugby sevens player was not even remotely on the radar. No
Jake Henry
other thing that was even before about I think, yeah, me as a, I was lucky nonsuit was lucky. But I didn’t, I don’t think I took in the like how bad of an injury I done. I was so going day to day. Just yeah, day to day would do my trading. And then we’d get a little bit about slightly walking a little bit better. Or it was like it was pretty much died from being on to crutches to them being on one to then being able to walk in a boot to then walk out of the boot. And then to actually go back on crutches and stuff. It also just going day by day was I think, kind of happy. I did do it that way. Because if I was just thinking about the end sort of result of any interview back running, it would have been an absolute depression, knowing that I’ve got to go through two coaches to one coach to boot to then crutches and so on. So I was lucky the way that I didn’t know why I think I just sort of every day just felt the same. But I think a little bit of that has to do with COVID Because you would do the same thing every day. So I sort of just got I got lost and what the actual process was I was kind of just going in would do the best I can that day and just go back and do it again. And eventually 11 and a half months later, I was playing the game. So it was just one of those things where I’m kind of happy to do it that way. But it’s also Yeah, no, I think that’s probably lucky that for some reason my brain just done it that way. So it’s quite hard actually. So it saved me a fair bit of while we’re thinking about it the other way.
Rob Anderson
So you you’ve made your HP world series debut. You’ve played our Commonwealth Games. What’s the next big sporting ambition for you?
Jake Henry
I’m hopefully pulling on Edinburgh. jersey. Hopefully at some point, this season, I’d be hitting us more. Definitely my goal this season is to be in the gunners colours.
Rob Anderson
So I’m guessing during that period of time that you you were injured and you said, you know, the contract was up, did you start to give us a thought to life after rugby? And what that might look like for you?
Jake Henry
Yeah, I think that was, it was definitely I think I started to think about, like, things I would like to do or things I could do. And then, even though, like, that’s actually a very hard thing, because I think we all lose, like as Academy, they always want, like the young guys to be doing something. But as someone who’s they try and think of things, it’s actually really hard to sit down and think, what is it that you do enjoy outside of paperwork, because you end up rugby, so it does become your life. But I think I was lucky that as soon as I’m sort of home from rugby, unless there’s like actual footage that we’ve been told to go through or whatnot, I kind of just don’t think about rugby. And so I stopped doing it. But yeah, it definitely when that happened, I was like, I probably should think about things that because it could just give me a little bit of things like because rugby doesn’t last forever. And it’s like another big injury could happen. And that could be something or it’s like, you can’t play like Touchwood but like that’s just one of those ones where it can happen. And yeah, thinking about things I think it was when I was coming back. So I’ve been playing and then Damien Hoyland was chatting about this is when he was starting his coffee business. And he was saying that he was went for live injuries. And it was something that just distracted him from it. Because if it wasn’t going well, he could focus on that. And he enjoyed it. Yes, he had a passion for it. So then I was thinking like, what does all the way enjoy when I’m not like playing rugby. And then those are the things like I was quite big into drawing as a kid, I liked my art and stuff. And then I’m a bit of a like I like like shoes like trainers. And I ended up trying to like have bought a fair few stuff for it is like customising trainers and boots. I feel like that’s something I think, to do alongside my career, I think we’ll be good to have that sort of distraction and also not having to have something else to do because I, as soon as I can get happy with the product I could do on like a boot, because a lot of boys have been saying that they’d like a pair of custom boots or some sort of thing and a boot. And it’s like, knowing that, like I kind of do it just because I would like them. I thought it’d be cool to have and then here and other boys like that it was quite a cool, cool thing. And it could be something that I could do is like a maybe a Wii side business or thing by q is bad that it’s came from, I kind of just wanted to do it. Because I wanted them and I liked them and I find it cool. But yeah, again, they that injury is done. As well as it takes it’s taken a year out of my career. It’s also added a lot of things that I wouldn’t have thought about.
Rob Anderson
And you know, in a roundabout way opportunity to get in front of Kieran Beatty that maybe you know might not have happened this funny how these things work out, isn’t it? Yeah,
Jake Henry
I feel like if that didn’t happen, like there’s loads of things that I don’t think would have happened in the way as so. In a way thankful for it because there’s been a lot another way it’s like, I’d rather have my Achilles not sure either the other one but No, that’s no is.
Rob Anderson
Yeah. So I mean, it’s probably obvious but what’s on the horizon next in the next 1218 months for you obviously pre seasons starting to draw towards the close. So kicking off the season with Edinburgh.
Jake Henry
Yeah, so yeah, so finishing off that preseason block with Edinburgh, hopefully. Hopefully get some sort of game time with Edinburgh and then just going on keeping that super six. Keep playing keep me game minutes up. Be with the Knights again this year. No, Ben actually got swapped for one of the second rows that Harriet’s got moved to the knights and then me answering your Harriet’s now. easier commute for you then. Yes, it is. Yeah. Cool. Well, Jake, it’s
Rob Anderson
been awesome. Thanks for sharing so much around your career so far, and the cost game experience? Where can people find out more about you and I guess follow along with some of the HSBC World Series antics and the life of a young developing rugby player
Jake Henry
For the TV, keep up with me just be my Instagram. Just shake Henry doublewide and underscore.
Rob Anderson
Cool. Good man. Thanks so much, really appreciate it. Good luck with the season ahead.
Jake Henry
Thank you appreciate it.