It’s not every day that I get to talk about certain players that I have met during my time as a coach, and I have taken great pleasure in watching Guy Thompson rise back up the leagues to make his debut for Wasps.
I met Guy when I was coaching at Richmond, and before there is the suggestion that I coached him or had anything to do with his successes, I didn’t. The one thing I do want to say about Guy is that he is one of the nicest people I have met in this game and he really does deserve all the successes that come his way. Here is my interview with him:
Chris: Guy, Thank you for doing this, it is greatly appreciated. How are things?
Guy: Things are good at the moment thank you. Enjoying my rugby and the new challenges I’m faced with.
Chris: So you appear to be one of the latest players to earn their way through the leagues, but initially you started off at Gloucester and Hartpury College. What happened during your time there?
Guy: I was never at Hartpury; I was at UWIC and was scouted for Gloucester after a game between the two uni’s. I really enjoyed my time at Gloucester but as sport is, I didn’t play as much as I wanted.
Chris: I’ve been given the impression you had turned your back on the sport for a while and you were playing 7s for the Templars. What tempted you back to 15s?
Guy: Yeh, I took a year out from rugby and went traveling. Was really good to get a different view and I didn’t think I missed rugby, until a good friend Rob Cain asked me to play for Templars. It gave me a new passion for rugby and made me want to play again. I then got a job in London and was invited to Richmond to play part time and I loved it. Richmond was an amazing club with amazing people.
Chris: You’ve had a couple of big injuries during your time. What were they and how did you find the journey back? Is there anything you would change about the experience if you could?
Guy: I have been lucky with injuries, only 1 major operation and I bounced back from that pretty quickly. I had my ATFL reconstructed in my ankle while I was at Richmond and I broke my hand in jersey. But all injuries can be turned into positive things so it’s just a case of staying positive and working hard.
Chris: You were dearly missed when you left Richmond for Jersey; your character left a huge whole for the club to fill. Was it difficult to leave?
Guy: It was immensely difficult for me to leave. I loved every second of my time there and I am still in contact with a lot of people at the club. I made friends for life and it made my time there made me want to pursue rugby as a career again.
Chris: How would you describe your experiences at Jersey?
Guy: Jersey was very much a story of two tales. The first year we won promotion from National 1 only losing a small number of games, then the second season narrowly surviving relegation from the Championship, winning only a few games. I loved both seasons and look back at my time at Jersey with immense pride. I learned a huge amount there and it was exciting to be a part of a club rising up the leagues. The island of Jersey was amazing, and as I have family connections to the island it was nice to be back there again.
Chris: Before signing for Wasps you had the opportunity to sign for England 7s. Knowing how much 7s has been a part of your life, how difficult was that decision, and why did you go with 15s?
Yes, it was a difficult decision. At the time it was a choice between Jersey or sevens, but I hadn’t given up on playing for a Premiership side so I decided I would hold off on the sevens. I love sevens and there is no greater honour than representing your country, and with the Olympics around the corner that was a massive carrot!
How have you found your time at Wasps, and how does it feel to be part of their resurgence?
Wasps are an amazing club with an immense amount of European heritage. To sign for a club like that was something I never dreamed of. But now I am here, I am loving it. I am training hard and enjoying as much game time as I can get in my first year. We have a great squad and a superb coaching set up so it’s an exciting time and a great atmosphere.
What is it like to work with the legend that is Dai Young?
Dai is a great coach on and off the field. He has the respect of everyone at the club and his attention to detail to second to none. He is an amazing coach and I am learning off him on a daily basis.
Finally, in the past you and I have spoken about Rob Cain and the experience that you have had with the Templars. Can you explain why he and they are important to you?
Rob has been a massive influence since I returned to rugby. He is a great friend and he gave me the opportunity to play again and gave me a reason with Templars. We are one of the only self-funded teams on the sevens circuit, and we play for a great cause, the charity CGD. Their website is cgdsociety.org for people to find out more, but it’s a fantastic cause. Rob and his whole family have supported me on and off the field and I appreciate everything he has done for me.
Guy, thanks once again for doing this. I really appreciate it and good luck for the rest of the season.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @TheSaxonCoach. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our Rugby writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
Main Photo Credit: Anita Ross Marshall for News
