This interview with Rob Vickerman was carried out briefly before he announced leaving Newcastle Falcons to join the England Sevens team full-time. Now we are approaching the halfway point of the IRB Sevens season The Rugby Diary thought it was a great time to revisit it.
A winner in every way......
Joining the core squad of Ben Ryan’s tenacious pack means that Vickerman will no longer be eligible to play at club level for this season at least.
However, it does mean that Rob’s Olympic ambitions may become a reality.
Seeing this opportunity as a perfect time for an interview, and a chance for Rob to get some last ditch revenge before taking off for his new sevens career, we caught up with Rob to get the real story of the switch.
Quick fire questions
Tori Chipp [TC]: Books or films?
Rob Vickerman [RV]: Films about books, so I can pretend I’ve read it!
[TC]: Surf or ski?
[RV]: Surf, bro. (Thanks Rob more people will think im a man now!)
[TC]: Night in or night out?
[RV]: Known as the Olympic Flame – never go out.
[TC]: North or South?
[RV]: T’North.
[TC]: Blonde or brunette?
[RV]: Blonde.
[TC]: Cook or be cooked for?
[RV]: Cooked for every night by a working mother of three – oh no wait, that’s Tom Catterick!
[TC]: Boxers or briefs?
[RV]: Calvin Klein all the way.
The interview
[TC]: Now, the time to spill the beans on your previous teammates….Who has the best and worst banter at the Falcons? And you can’t give yourself the best award before you even try it!
[RV]: I always enjoy a Matt Thompson ‘topper’ story. If you’ve got a black cat, he’s got a panther. Failing that, Daz Fearn has got good chat, and a shit tat. Tim Swinson is improving with some good lines – just about 20 minutes late.
[TC]: Putting on your Trinny and Susannah style cap, who were the best and worst dressed?
[RV]: It’s fair to say Tom Catterick encapsulates the best of both. I bet Marty McFly, in 1985, didn’t think he’d be so on trend in 2011. Unfortunately, Tom Catterick styles himself on Cher Lloyd!
[TC]: Some may say style comes with ease, others really, really have to try. Who was the biggest tart in the Falcons team? We have all seen Geordie Shore, but someone has to stand out?
[RV]: Chris Pilgrim without a doubt. Some boys had to be restrained when he dressed up as a bird at the end of season do.
[TC]: Not sure this is an award that many would admit to wanting, but who was the biggest LAD at Falcons?
[RV]: Daz ‘Ultimate Lad’ Fearn.
[TC]: Who is the best roommate we know, forwards are usually the worst?
[RV]: It’s going to have to be Tim Swinson – he even brings his Butler.
[TC]: Who goes craziest on the town, usually ending up in trouble? We all know at least one friend who can do the impossible on a night out?
[RV]: Luke Eves is pretty loose. Especially if his dad isn’t out.
[TC]: Can you tell us the funniest story from a team social that you know about happening at Falcons?
[RV]: On our end of season do last year we were all in teams of 5. One of the rules was there must be a ‘team steal.’ This usually means that someone in the team ‘borrows’ an ashtray or perhaps a glass from a bar. (Obviously it will be replaced).
Over the years some teams have done well, capturing a pub sign, brought along a local perhaps, but this year the records were re-written. As we sat in our last pub we had forgotten to acquire any item, so when we all looked around the room we all saw the same thing as our heads then turned back. The Piano! We sat for 15 minutes coming up with a plan, how to distract the staff, the exit route and then how to get it to the next pub. Needless to say, the plan was executed perfectly, until the landlord at the next pub had a phone in his hand saying it was the owner of the last pub, who had called the police. The piano found its way back pretty quickly.
[TC]: Love it, shame you couldn’t get a local in the piano; that would have been genius! Now this is a really important question and all the lads probably think they are going to win it, but who is the biggest ladies man at Falcons?
[RV]: Well, judging by our Gypsy Wedding outfits at the fancy dress, I’d have to say Chris Pilgrim was the biggest lady man.
[TC]: There have been a few interviews recently with your old Falcon’s boys. Would you like to hand out any extra awards to your teammates?
[RV]: Of course:
Media whore: Chris Pilgrim
Biggest rater: Luke Fielden
[TC]: Now for some questions about yourself… I hear you are known in some circles as the “nause of the North.” Can you explain this and do you have any other nicknames?
[RV]: Owing to my nausiing nature, and name, I tend to be affectionately known as Vickernause. It’s a fair shout.
[TC]: You’ve had some great times with the England Sevens team. If the opportunity arose would you ever swap Premiership rugby for sevens full time?
[RV]: If only that could happen…
[TC]: Just call me mystic Meg. So Mr Vickerman, all the ladies need to know, well want to know, are you single or taken? My cousin actually was the one who prompted this question! (Sarah)
[RV]: First time I have been asked since, but happily married!
[TC]: It’ll never last…only kidding, sorry Sarah. So coming from Leeds originally, how did you find life further north, we hear you have a lot of travelling support?
[RV]: Newcastle was fun, I loved the city and the people and the clichés accepted there. My family do love to watch a bit of rugby – so on Christmas Eve there were around 20 of them at the game, and out that night.
[TC]: That must have been nice! Falcons came very close to relegation last season, too close. Do you think they will be able to combat that this season?
[RV]: I hope so. I’ll avoid further clichés and watch with interest in the coming months.
[TC]: Who are the players you look up to in rugby today?
[RV]: Most of them, I’m only 5’11″!!
[TC]: ONLY?! Try being 5’2”!!
[TC]: Where is your favourite ground to play in the world?
[RV]: I did enjoy most of the sevens stadiums we played in last time I featured in 2009, but the top one has to be the Cake Tin, Westpac Stadium in Wellington. The atmosphere was immense!
[TC]: Well thanks Rob for taking the time out to do the interview and giving your old teammates a good hammering. Good luck with the Sevens!
Follow Tori Chipp on Twitter
Follow Rob Vickerman on Twitter
The Rugby Diary 