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'Excited': Jamie Roberts opens up on Super Rugby move to Waratahs
Jamie Roberts didn’t fly to the other side of the world just to pass on knowledge and mentor young players. The Wales and British and Irish Lions centre is ready to compete and make his presence known at the NSW Waratahs.
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The 35-year old has declared himself fit and firing for the Waratahs’ 2022 season as the team looks to rebuild after a disappointing campaign last year.
“That’s one thing that’s been beneficial, I’m mid-season,” Roberts told media on Thursday, two days after arriving in Sydney.
“These lads are obviously at the latter end of a pre-season, but I come in match fit and match ready. It’s just about getting over the jetlag, getting my legs moving and I’ll be ready to go.
“I will see if coach wants to involve me over the next few weeks. I am certainly under no illusions it’s going to be a hell of a job for me to break into this side, there’s a lot of quality, but that’s what I’m striving to do.”
Roberts brings with him a wealth of experience, playing at top clubs in Europe with the likes of Cardiff, Racing 92, Harlequins and Bath before returning to Wales to play for the Dragons.
He has also had a taste of Super Rugby in 2020 during his time at the Stormers.
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His hard-edged running and staunch defence made him a mainstay in the Welsh side for the better part of a decade, but Roberts says he is looking forward to the challenge of adapting his game to a different style.
“It’s a different game. It’s a faster track, the hand speed of the players, the skillset of the players is different,” he said.
“You play a lot in the northern hemisphere, it’s often on heavier pitches, certainly during this period of the year. It’s quite attritional, a lot of kick-chase, the ball can be quite greasy and it’s hard to play to width.
“What I’m fully expecting here is similar to what I experienced in South Africa. That is, the teams put width on the ball, it’s faster, it’s a quicker way of playing the game.
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“It’s a chance for me to keep learning and developing myself as a player, and challenging my skillset because of the way I’ve played throughout my career.”
Roberts is no stranger to Australian shores, first touring with his school, Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf, and later as a member of the 2013 British and Irish Lions squad, which claimed a famous series win on Australian soil.
He also has an Australian wife Nicole and a young son Tomos, and the plan has always been to settle in Sydney. The decision to play Super Rugby came about following a conversation with Waratahs coach Darren Coleman.
“We spoke last year. I was always going to end up in Sydney at some point, whether that was going to be during my career or a life after [rugby]. My partner’s obviously from Manly,” Roberts said.
“I think he got in touch just before Christmas because they had a few injuries in the midfield. I guess it went from there.
“I sat down with my partner, I knew she was coming out here on Boxing Day. It’s been something she’s been very keen on, being around that support network in Manly, and all her good friends from growing up are having children.
“We are due our second [child] in mid-march, and it was something she really wanted.
“Obviously, I had to ask the Dragons back home to leave my contract halfway through the season, which was difficult.
“It was challenging, but I believe it was the right decision, not just for my family but for my career as well. I am excited to come and play Super Rugby.”
His first impression of the Waratahs organisation has him excited and recognises the team is in the midst of building something special. He sees this Australian sojourn as a way to challenge himself and impart knowledge of the next generation of superstars.
“Something I was chatting to Darren Coleman about, and one of the reasons he’s come back to take this job, is the amount of growth potential is significant.
“I think anyone, certainly in the coaching world – I’m not a coach – would want to work with that because of the amount of growth potential that’s there.
“I put myself in that same bracket, as a senior player, as a guy with a lot of experience in the game, to play with a group like that is going to be awesome.
“One, because there’s nothing like the exuberance of youth to motivate me as a bit an older player, but two, to pass on that wealth of knowledge, and hopefully help a lot of these young players to realise their potential and their growth in the game.”
There’s another challenge he wants to take on while he is here in Australia.
“I’m not leaving Australia without being able to learn to surf.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
16 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
16 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
10 Go to comments