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Irish great Rob Kearney reveals unorthodox training method as he quarantines for Super Rugby
He went from freezing conditions in Ireland to bench pressing his own hotel bed in Brisbane, but Irish rugby legend Rob Kearney was all smiles when he finally met his new Western Force teammates in Perth on Tuesday.
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Kearney has spent his entire club life at Irish outfit Leinster and the star fullback jumped at the chance to experience something new when the Force came knocking in August.
Signing on the dotted line was easy, but getting to Perth amidst a global pandemic proved to be tricky.
Kearney eventually touched down in Brisbane last month when he was forced to quarantine in a hotel for two weeks with his fiance Jess Redden.
The pair got creative while in quarantine with Kearney even resorting to bench pressing the bed.
“It wasn’t heavy enough,” Kearney said with a laugh.
“I think I’ve lost a kilo or two after the few weeks quarantine. So I’ll be asking the boys to stack on more weight.
“I had a good pal who I used to play rugby union with – Ben Te’o. He’s with the Broncos at the moment and he dropped some equipment to me, a rower and TherraBands.
“When you’re forced to have to adapt, you can make sessions up pretty quickly and you can surprise yourself with how much work you can get done in a small room.
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“My fiancé is hugely into her fitness and she regularly ran 10, 12km a day in the bedroom, which put me to shame.”
Wallabies captain Michael Hooper's Top League debut has been delayed by a COVID-19 outbreak sweeping through Japanese rugby. #TopLeague https://t.co/AoC2wib5jj
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Kearney, who arrived in Perth on Monday, said the safety Australia provided from COVID-19 plus its hotter climate were major drawcards in him signing with the Force.
He hopes to not only play a key role on the field but also help develop the club’s younger players.
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“I’m very lucky that I’ve come from some teams and some cultures where we’ve won a lot of trophies and silverware,” Kearney said.
“Hopefully I can incorporate some of that winning mindset and what it takes to be a real high-performance team.”
Kearney finished up with Leinster in September and said he would gradually build up his loads over the coming weeks.
The 34-year-old is a rugby legend in his country, having made 95 test appearances for Ireland and earning three test caps for the British and Irish Lions.
Kearney’s arrival further bolsters a Force squad that went on a signing spree during the off-season.
Argentinian internationals Tomas Cubelli, Julian Montoya, Tomas Lezana, Santiago Medrano and Domingo Miotti have all signed, as well as Wallabies duo Tevita Kuridrani and Tom Robertson.
Former All Blacks Richard Kahui and Jeremy Thrush have re-signed from last year, giving the Force a huge international flavour.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
9 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
3 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
3 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
1 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
2 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
9 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
3 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
9 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
9 Go to commentsWowee!
9 Go to commentsEvery team that has played a game in Africa this Champions Cup season is already out of the competition - including the SA teams. Could be a concidence.
30 Go to commentsthat should offer some experiences for Jordie.
9 Go to commentsJust remember: He is not a winger. Took Ian Foster 2 years to figure that out.
9 Go to commentsExcellent article, Nick. We (your RP colleague Brett McKay and my 8/9 Combo cohost), are going to have LSL on our podcast later this month. He has shown consistent excellence as a leader and lock. I’ll chat with you offline about a line of questioning if you have time. H
9 Go to commentsSo no Irish fan or journalist suggested JGP was as good as DuPont. Then even the guy who supposedly did is from Wales and said JGP would be the best around if it was t for DuPont. Right, so what is this story about again
17 Go to commentsGreat news for the URC. Leinster will always attract top talent. Another huge name added to their stable
9 Go to commentsWhen you look at Australian Rugby you can see the talent coming through. There’s young players everywhere. They have the makings of a strong Wallaby team for years to come if they trust their young players. There might be some short term pain but after 30 or 40 caps together a Wallaby group comprised of the current youngsters will really be top class. It seems like the threat of going under has focused the Rebels both on and off the field. They are having a go like a team with nothing to lose and winning back the fans whilst silencing their detractors. Its funny how an existential threat can spur a team on to new highs. Taking rugby back to the communities will help to build support and create a true team for the community and one rooted into it. It may just work and save the Rebels and if they can get the financing then maybe let them have a go at reinvention. I do feel though that Australian Rugby has one too many franchises. If the Rebels die all these solid young players get infused into other franchises who will have more money, depth and resources. It would make the Australian Rugby franchises so much stronger and they may come to achieve parity with the best franchises from NZ. Super Rugby is throwing up some really entertaining games. Not too much good defence but certainly high pace, try scoring magic on display. Melbourne are no exception to this.
9 Go to commentsMost articles (none Irish) said JGP might be second best globally (after Dupont). Anyway, he is playing great. Different player but maybe he is equal to Dupont in how he is reading games now. He is also running a lot of Dupont support lines and scoring a lot of tries. Dupont is best scrum half but JGP in next pack.
17 Go to comments