Jackson Wray: Why I'm staying at Saracens
Jackson Wray has insisted that he never even considered the idea of leaving Saracens following the announcement that the club would be relegated to the Championship as a result of salary cap breaches.
His declaration of loyalty comes in a turbulent year for Saracens, with demotion to the second tier confirmed in January.
Wray has experienced many highs and lows during his 15 years in north London since starting in the Junior Academy, and although the latter has outweighed the former in 2019/20, departing the club he loves was never an option.
“I love it here,” he said. “I love working with all the lads that are here. I love the environment and how the club looks after people. My family are happy, my kids are happy, and I just love what the place is about.
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“The people are what make the club special. I go to work every day enjoying what I’m doing, testing myself, always feeling like what I do is appreciated and when I’m not doing things well how we go about it.
“The environment and how the lads enjoy time together is great. People say about it being a family and we actually are. I spend so much time with the lads at the club and away from it too that it is an absolute no-brainer for me to stay.
“Winning trophies has been brilliant and what comes with that, but off the field it’s everything we do. We do a lot together and after you win or lose it’s making sure you’re tight and we’ve always been that way.
“It’s a proper family. The closest friends I have are the ones I’ve known since I was 14 but I love spending time with all the boys at the training ground, and then away from that the time with our families. It’s just a great place to be.”
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Disappointing, angry, upset and annoyed are among the words Wray has used to describe the rollercoaster of emotions he has felt since the salary cap verdict.
However, together as a group the players have had time to digest, talk through and move on and Wray is now looking to the future which will see a number of young players progress into the first team.
“Obviously it was disappointing when the news broke,” he said. “Right now, I’m over it with all that is going on now. I’m just looking forward to kicking on next year physically and maybe help the body by not playing 30-odd games a season! It’ll give my body a bit of a breather and I’m looking forward to it.”
Wray continued: “There will be a lot of opportunities for young guys to have a base and really kick on next year.
“They’ll get a lot of experience of prepping and reviewing week-to-week and will be some of the main guys doing what they need to do and that will be good for a lot of people. I’m excited to see how good they can become and how good they will be from that experience.”
A positive from the current campaign has been the exposure of first team rugby for many at Saracens in their late teens and early twenties.
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The likes of Brad Barritt, Richard Wigglesworth and Wray have been tasked with leading the troops on the field, a job the Sunderland-born backrower has enjoyed, and that has created some fond memories.
“Leading a young group has its challenges,” he explained. “I’ve just tried to be a calming influence on the lads and try to motivate them through actions but also through words as much as possible.
“It’s about trying to bring the best out of a really talented group that can really kick on. At times we’ve had to really dig in and we’ve had some really difficult games like Racing 92 away, a really difficult place to go with a young team.
“Obviously Wasps more recently wasn’t a great night for us but you have to have context in your head that these guys are doing as well as they can and it’s about relaxing them as much as you can to bring the best out of them, because the best of them is more than good enough.
“I’ve just tried to be that person who can do that in the week in training, the build-up to games and during games, trying to be that calming influence that can allow them to perform well.”
There have been many outstanding All Blacks who have taken to the field over the years, but only a select few have made the cut in @HamishBidwell's side.https://t.co/gzbXdnhW9w
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 30, 2020
On memorable games, Wray added: “Gloucester game was great after we got deducted points. Going down there and beating them was fantastic and a real performance; we fought for everything and were under pressure from the crowd and the media.
“I’ll never forget that game. That really stands out for me as a highlight this season in terms of how we came back from that.
“Also, Munster away, although we didn’t win, we went to Thomond Park, we fought unbelievably hard with a young, unexperienced team, and that for me is another game I’ll remember.
“When we’re in adversity, when we’re under pressure… Ospreys away going down to 14 is another. We went down to 13 for a period and beat them away. All similar moments.”
Wray is currently recovering from concussion sustained in the penultimate fixture before the postponement of all rugby activity until at least 20th April.
A great idea to keep supporter's spirits up during this difficult time @premrugby @WaspsRugby ?https://t.co/QgR1Unh1WR
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 30, 2020
Both his injury and lack of upcoming games has put a hold on the backrower’s climb to 250 Saracens appearances, a landmark he is excited about making.
The 29-year-old graduated from the Senior Academy in the Class of 2008 alongside Owen Farrell, Jamie George and George Kruis, and is proud to have played his part for more than a decade.
“I am so looking forward to making it to 250, it’s a brilliant milestone for anyone and I’m very proud to have played as many games as I have.
“To almost to be at 250 is great and I’d love to play just as many times as I can for this great place. Hopefully I can do that over the next few years and do what I can to make this place as good as it can be.”
Watch: The Breakdown is joined by a host of star names.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
13 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt 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.
26 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….
26 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!
4 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
13 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 comments