Ryan Godsmark: 'Big dream is to go to the World Cup' with Belgium
There is so much to admire about the commitment of players on the tier-two rugby circuit. Take Ryan Godsmark, the Brussels-based school PE teacher from Scotland. It was last April in Stellenbosch when RugbyPass first shot the breeze with scrum-half.
The Belgium men’s sevens team had just beaten Tonga in the final of the second leg of the Challenger Series and were royally celebrating the achievement. With a boom box pumping out the tunes in their Markotter dressing room, a multitude of selfies were being taken with the trophy.
Godsmark, his jersey off and a towel around his waist while preparing to get ready for the commute back to Cape Town and an unexpected night of celebration, explained the sacrifice involved in representing his adopted country in South Africa.
“I took two weeks’ holidays, I’m not paid to be here. All these other guys are not paid to be here, they lose money, but it is all about the experience,” he enthused.
Fast forward 11 months and the work leave sacrifice wasn’t as onerous when RugbyPass touched base again with Godsmark in France.
?? WHAT A WAY TO START TO FINALS DAY!
Belgium Rugby come flying out the traps. #REC24 pic.twitter.com/veP9e2lhu2
— Rugby Europe (@rugby_europe) March 17, 2024
Just two days off from the British School in Brussels were all that was needed for him to chip in with preparations ahead of last Sunday’s Rugby Europe Championship seventh-place play-off versus Poland in Paris.
Since we had last spoken, the soon-to-be 32-year-old, who qualifies for Belgium under residency, had played for the Brussels Devils in the Europe Super Cup and while he missed the Belgians’ headline-grabbing Rugby Europe Championship pool upset against Portugal, he was glad to have just played his part off the bench in their 34-8 play-off win over the Poles.
“It confirms that we were obviously playing well,” he reckoned in the aftermath. “We had a bit of a miss game against Germany [they lost 11-21 at Waterloo on March 2] and the fact of finishing seventh place only losing two of the five games is really good. The boys are really happy. Everyone has worked really hard. It has been five weeks of hard work, so it’s good.”
The improvement brought about by having Laurent Dossat now at the helm has fired up the ambition of Godsmark and co. The Rugby World Cup is expanding from 20 to 24 teams for Australia 2027 and the Belgians want a piece of the action.
“Everything we have done has been a step forward. The big dream is to go to the World Cup, so we have put ourselves in a good position for that and that’s the big picture. To lose against Germany but then to finish it with a win, it’s a positive picture.
“The more time we get to work with each other the better. It’s the same story we had in Stellenbosch – some guys are pro, some aren’t. We have only got a short time to work together so we go into camp, we have got four, five days and then it’s game time. If we can be productive in that time it obviously shows.
“At the end of these five weeks, there is a massive difference in terms of organisation, in terms of how we want to play and over the long term that can be even better if we get the time together, if we get more camps then it makes a difference.
“There is a better organisation than we have had the previous years, so it’s just working on that, having camps together, training together and having good preparation. Again, it was a much better preparation this year than the previous years and then we have also got guys being able to be free from their clubs in France.
The Belgium and Poland players applaud each other at the end of the seventh place final in Paris at Rugby Europe Championship finals day in Paris. #rugby #BELvPOL #REC24 pic.twitter.com/1dglU8rFa9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 17, 2024
“There are still guys who haven’t been released from their clubs so that’s another thing, getting everyone released and being able to play would make a massive difference. Just training time together helps a lot.”
Godsmark did his bit to ensure success at Stade Jean Bouin. “I’m still a teacher, same story as last time. I had to take a few days off, had to take Thursday, Friday off.
“I had to ask the boss and he gave me it. That’s another story. They [the British School in Brussels] are good with me with the rugby, they give me some time off and I can go away. | just then have to make up for it later on down the line. It’s a bit of a sacrifice but it works well.
“They post it on their Twitter, on their Instagram, things like that so it’s good for them, it’s good for the students that I teach as well, they ask how it’s going with the rugby, they look on social media. I’m a PE teacher so it looks good for the kids.”
It's rare 4?? Test teams get to celebrate with a trophy on the same day at the same stadium… but Georgia, Spain, Netherlands and Belgium were all smiles after their Rugby Europe Championship wins in Paris on Sunday. #REC24 @GeorgianRugby @ferugby #RugbyNL @BelgianRugby #rugby pic.twitter.com/gF5YYPG0tk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 18, 2024
Comments on RugbyPass
One significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
53 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
53 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
53 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
53 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
1 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
53 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
53 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
53 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
53 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
53 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
53 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
53 Go to commentsSurprising how standing down or benching a player can do wonders for their motivation. Several players this week in that category.
2 Go to comments