James Horwill is poignantly trying to emulate his late friend Dan Vickerman by winning the Varsity
Former Wallaby captain James Horwill will be in the Cambridge University second row against Oxford University in the 138th Varsity match next week, a contest that marks the tenth anniversary of the late Dan Vickerman leading the light blues to victory in the famous fixture.
Horwill and Vickerman were Australia’s second row partnership at the 2011 World Cup, but Vickerman was forced to retire due to leg fracture problems a year later.
Vickerman, who played in the 2008 and 2009 varsity matches, tragically committed suicide in 2017, highlighting how many sportsmen and women struggle once their playing careers are over.
The Daniel Vickerman scholarship was established in the late lock’s memory and Horwill, studying a 20-month EMBA course at Cambridge, become its second recipient, an honour presented by his former team-mate’s wife Sarah and her two sons.
It was a particularly poignant moment as Vickerman was the person who inspired Horwill about taking a course at Cambridge once his professional playing career ended. That moment came at Twickenham in June when he scored a try as Barbarians captain against England.
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Horwill, who now returns to Twickenham on December 12 as an amateur, told RugbyPass: “I watched last year’s game, the one in which Jamie Roberts (his former Harlequins team-mate) was involved, and I had spoken at length to Dan Vickerman about his experience here (at Cambridge). The aim is to get the win ten years after Dan led Cambridge to victory.
“I’m lucky enough to be the second recipient of the scholarship. The first was Andrew Hunter a young Sydney University lock who came over and did his undergraduate degree and played for the club.
“When Dan initially moved to Australia he played for my club Queensland Uni and we played together for the Wallabies. He put the seed in my head about doing some kind of study post my rugby career.
@JHorwill receives the Dan Vickerman scholarship, presented by Sarah Vickerman and two sons along with Andrew Hunter and @flipvandermerwe.
We remember Dan Vickerman who played for the light blues 10 years ago in the 2009 Varsity Match.#varsitymatch pic.twitter.com/ZwMlnsXnZs
— The Varsity Matches (@VarsityMatches) November 27, 2019
“We talked together at the 2011 World Cup and the scholarship is something I’m very humbled to receive. To have Sarah and the kids here to present it was very special.
“The Rugby Players Association are helping players because it isn’t an easy transition, whether you are prepared or not. When you look at someone like Dan from the outside, he probably looked best prepared having taken time out to study at Cambridge to prepare for life after rugby and he still had issues.
“It’s about understanding that it is OK not to be OK and to talk about it. People are there to help and you should be thinking about this if you are 18 and just starting out or past 30 like I was and looking at options. The world of professional sport can be a fickle one and a short one. At times you don’t always decide when you finish and it is great we are bringing awareness of this fact.”
'Epic journey' and 'unbelievable adventure' are just two of many descriptions Schalk Brits has after going from retirement to World Cup glory and now back into retirement againhttps://t.co/F3rvvB4J1q
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 3, 2019
Horwill will pack down alongside former Springbok Flip van der Merwe – also 34 – in what could be the most experienced second row partnership to ever appear in a Varsity match as the players boast 99 Test caps between them.
Horwill, who captained the Wallabies 16 times in his 14-year professional career that ended at Harlequins, is currently juggling his studies with the build-up to the Varsity match and the length of this course means he could also play in 2020 alongside Schalk Brits, the Springbok World Cup-winning hooker, who is expected to start his business course next September.
“It’s pretty busy because there is a lot that goes into it off the field,” explained Horwill. “There are events and functions plus training and I knew it would be like this and you have to make it work.
The challengers! ? ??
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Say hello to the official @CURUFC Men’s line up for 12th December.??
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Who are you backing with 9 days to go? ??
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*Women’s squads coming soon?
?#VarsityMatch? pic.twitter.com/6YixKQtSDP— The Varsity Matches (@VarsityMatches) December 2, 2019
“What makes this game unique is the history of the match and some of the guys have been training for a year to play in it again. It is fast-paced and it will be about peaking at the right time.
“Our captain Stephen Leonard has done a great job and I talk when I feel that I can add value. I’m alongside Flip in the second row and we definitely feel older than everyone else which is interesting. It’s nice to have someone in the same boat!
“My course is challenging and designed to push you. It lasts 20 months and will still be running when the 2020 match takes place, but let’s get through this one first.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
58 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments