Over the years I have watched several sevens players breakthrough into the full England sevens ranks. Now I have to be a little cautious because I have tried for a number of years to get this person to play for my Sevens team. I am really genuinely excited at the thought of Phil Burgess playing Sevens for England and certainly he has made an impressive start.
Here is my interview with him.
Phil, thank you for agreeing to do the interview, it is greatly appreciated. So how are you doing?
No problem at all! I’m very good thanks.
How have you found the first season with England?
My first season has been very enjoyable so far, I have been fortunate so far to be injury free and so reaped the rewards in regards to training and learning the game of 7’s. It was quite a shock to the system, both physically and mentally and I’m slowly getting my body and mind in tune with what’s needed.
How are you coping with all of the travel?
The travel side of things was not too much of an issue, due to the fact when I was playing with the Cornish Pirates we had to negotiate 6-12 hour bus trips every other weekend. Which has stood me in good steed for the 24 plus hour journeys to Australia and the like.
So I have to ask, I was a little surprised that you signed for England 7s when you did, given that several years previously you chose to sign with the Pirates instead. What changed your mind this time around?
I really enjoyed my time at the Pirates and was really fortunate that in my time there we had a very good management, playing squad and we were relatively successful. I played for three seasons down at the Pirates, with all the ambition to try and help the Pirates become a Premiership side, but unfortunately off-field issues regarding eligibility criteria for the Premiership (stadium for Cornwall) meant that the pirates were always going to be unsuccessful in making the final push into the Premiership due to the off-field issues. Thus my decision to leave the Pirates was with a heavy heart as I loved playing there, and the guys were great. But I felt at the point in my career, playing sevens would be a great opportunity to improve my rugby skills, showcase them on a world stage and also explore the world a little
How have you found the transition back to Sevens?
The transition to sevens was something that is continually ongoing. This because for me I lacked quite a bit of sevens experience, and with a new head coach (Simon Amor) he came on board with new systems and procedures that again took time to get used too.
How do the fitness requirements differ from what you were doing in 15s?
The main difference I would say is that although only seven-minute halts, they are non-stop. So the ability to work at high speed and repeat it again is tough and does take some time to get used too! Obviously with the high load of running and speed aspect of the game, a lot more emphasis is placed on speed and power, rather than size and strength in the 15’s game.
You were one of several players that signed from 15s into 7s, and it took all of you quite some time to break into the team, was that partly fitness or was getting you into the different mindset part of it?
A mixture of both really, the fitness aspect is something that improves just from all the specific training and also the extras you put in, but the mindset side relating to the fitness is that you can’t stop until the whistle blows, ironic really, but you just have to work on the premise that sevens is a whistle to whistle game and you need to be switched on as soon as it blows. I was fortunate that with a new coach coming in, everyone was on a clean slate and could really push for selection and I was fortunate enough to have been picked.
So as I understand it you went through the sports academy that is Loughborough University, what did that do for you at the time, and what did you learn?
I studied, geography sport and leisure management. Loughborough was a fantastic experience and a great university! I really enjoyed my time there, I had my first real experience in men’s league rugby playing for the students league team. I learnt lots of different things from the plethora of high quality coaches that coached us. Loughborough really helped me to develop both physically and mentally, with the great ‘s and c’ facilities allowed me to train with Olympic athletes and see how these guys and girls train (inspiring). Also the almost professional rugby set up, helped to hone analysis skills and also game understanding!
From there you signed for Cornish Pirates, correct? How was that experience?
That’s right, it again was a fantastic experience, I was fortunate to be stuck in a team with some fantastic players and great coaches again! Which meant that for me I was blessed with having so many people I could learn from and improve my own game. It was also great to be in a really rugby orientated county, the support we had was great and hopefully the council down there can work with the Pirates and get the stadium for Cornwall issue sorted!
What did you learn during your time there?
I was fortunate enough to play in two championship finals and also a British and Irish cup semi-final in my time at Pirates, which I think helped me to hone my skills at being a true professional sportsman and also prepare me for ‘big games’.
I obviously learnt lots from the coaches and players regarding my rugby playing, but one of hone biggest things was how important the culture at a successful team was, and what that looked like as I was lucky enough to be a part of one!
So Just the last few questions. And I have to ask, 7s or 15s? And why?
At the moment I am really loving playing sevens, improving my skills on the pitch and also playing in front of some big crowds and being able to pull on an England shirt, which is an absolute privilege! But I would not rule out returning to 15’s but I am giving sevens my all for now and see how I fair.
What does a typical week look like for a professional 7s player outside of tournament week?
Simon Amor coming on board has seen the introduction of a full-time London based sevens team. Our schedule at the moment is :
Weights and speed Monday morning, lunch then rugby in the afternoon.
Weights and skills Tuesday morning, lunch then rugby in the afternoon (fitness based session)
Wednesday off
Thursday morning speed and weights, lunch the rugby (contact session)
Friday morning weights and conditioning, lunch then rugby.
Phil Burgess can be seen on Sky Sports playing in the HSBC World 7s series for England.
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