My Life in Rugby
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26 TheRUGBYPaper Sunday, January 3, 2021 EXTRANEWS Feature Shamed Matera must go ‘Tinners’ always made back to school PABLO Matera must me man of the match complete educational “restorative measures” before regaining the Argentina captaincy, the country’s rugby governing body has said. MY Uphill battle: Jon The 27-year-old and his Skurr playing for teammates Guido Petti and Rotherham Santiago Socino were sus- IN pended for racist comments posted on social media LIFE between 2011 and 2013. Matera was reinstated two days later at the begin- ning of December. But the RUGBY Argentine Rugby Union JON SKURR (UAR) now say his captain- THE FORMER WAKEFIELD, SEDGLEY cy is contingent on the PARK AND ROTHERHAM No.8 AND completion of an educa- IRELAND SEVENS HEAD COACH tional programme. The UAR previously said S I sit here, ready to suspension was “unneces- reflect on my life in sary”, describing the social rugby, I have just heard media posts as “imprudent the sad news of the pass- and immature”. ing of Jim Kilfoyle aka But, following what the ‘Tinners’. Jim and union calls a four-week Roger Burman were my “exhaustive investigation Afirst coaches in the professional game process” a statement said and had a big influence on the start of “the damage caused” by the my career. posts “must be remedied”. Although I only worked with Jim for a “All racist, xenophobic season before moving on to pastures new, and discriminatory com- I always ended up receiving the away ments are categorically team man-of-the-match whenever I condemned,” the statement played against Wakefield. It didn’t continued. matter how I played ‘Tinners’ was the “Education so that these sort of person that always looked out for attitudes are not repeated, his ‘Wakey’ players. as well as showing remorse While I was at Wakefield, I was part of and remediation, are com- the Bradford Bulls team that won the plementary to punitive Middlesex Sevens in 2002. What an amaz- actions (not applicable in ing experience that was. All 12 of the this case because of the Premiership clubs were involved and put time passed since the posts) out strong squads – Jonny Wilkinson, for to effectively treat this example, played for Newcastle, which is problem.” incredible really when you think it was Rovers. On reflection, League may have me back into the changing room. Luckily that’s where the connection lay. I knew a In order to be eligible for only a year out from the World Cup. suited my game more but I don’t have for me, Richard Senior had the same size few of the boys and it was great to work future selection Matera, The Bulls were one of the two Super any regrets about the path that I took. feet and he lent me his pair and, as it was with them and others like Keith Earls, Petti and Socino must par- League clubs invited to take part along I felt I returned to Wakefield a much his last game, he didn’t care what Tim Darren Cave and Brian Carney, who’d ticipate in a six-hour course with Wigan Warriors, who had Nick better player, winning the Player of the thought and wore my white ones instead. switched codes. to learn how prejudices Easter guesting for them! The Bulls were Year award in 2003/04 in what turned out Feels and I would spend our time delib- I was then fortunate enough to be arise and the consequences looking to do what Leeds Rhinos and to be the club’s last-ever season. Allen erately winding Tim up by hiding his involved in the next World Cup in Russia, these can have. Leeds Tykes had done and become a Clarke, the then Ulster coach, must have clothes around the clubhouse and we’d but with the women’s team this time They must also record a dual-code operation, hence the tie-up heard good things about me because he wet ourselves laughing on hearing him around. It’s great to see some of the girls video with educational con- with Wakefield. That never really came came along to the fateful Coventry game turn the air blue with his expletives as that I coached go on to do so well and tent about discriminatory to anything but for me and my best mate that signalled relegation, and ultimately he struggled to find them. We were regu- make careers out of rugby. It’s just a and prejudiced stereotypes Feels (Jon Feeley), it was the chance to the club’s demise, with a view to signing larly invited ‘into the woods’ to sort out shame that the Union did not put the which will be used as a play alongside players like Robbie Paul, me. any disputes. resources into the Sevens programme teaching resource for play- our captain, big Lesley Vainikolo and a Nothing came of it, however, and both After four seasons at Sedgley and with that they do now. ers, then spend two days young Leon Pryce. Feels and I moved to Sedgley Park once over 200 National League games under Once my time with Ireland abruptly sharing their experiences I’m the head of a school near Bradford the plug was pulled on Wakefield. Sedg- my belt, Jon and I both moved on to came to an end following a restructure of on this topic as part of a now and I don’t mind admitting I’ve told ley had assembled a really good bunch of Rotherham. It was a time when money at the Sevens setup, I decided to go back to course. the story quite a few times, although not lads for the step up to National 1 and we that level was beginning to tell and, for a the day job – teaching. From then The union added: “The as much as Feels, who uses any opportu- had a unique player-coach in Tim Fourie. part-time club like Roth, it was an uphill onwards, it was about giving back to the UAR will monitor the fulfil- nity he gets to recall his 70-yard try in the Because we were both No.8s, I could battle to compete most weeks. game, as coach of Yorkshire or as assis- ment of these activities to final against Wasps. never do right in his eyes, but I still However, we still managed to pull off tant to… yep, you’ve guessed it, Jon resolve the question of eli- It was actually at Wasps that I started really enjoyed playing for him. Once I the odd shock result, including a 35-21 Feeley, at Wharfedale. gibility for future out on the journey to become a profes- forgot my boots on the way to a match win against Exeter in April 2009 which I wasn’t really looking to coach again participation in the nation- sional rugby player straight from school. and hastily called in at a sports shop to ruined any lingering hopes they had of but Rob Baldwin convinced me to come al side and/or eligibility to I was all set to take up a place at Brunel buy some new ones. The only pair I could promotion. Mike Whitehead – another to the ‘Dales’. Wharfedale is a brilliant captain the side, questions University and continue with Wasps find in my size were bright white, and former Wasp and Campion pupil – had a club, run by some really nice people and that will be resolved in until John Cholewa, who was Mike Tin- Tim went mad when he saw me run out blinder that day, scoring 25 points. I did my family have been looked after so well their own time. dall’s rugby master at QEGS, came in them. Effing and blinding, he ordered go back to Sedgley Park for a couple of since I joined the club. Not many clubs “The eligibility of the calling and signed me for Wakefield. games after that but a badly-torn ham- will have 30-40 players turning up for three players remains sub- From that point on, all my rugby was up “I was part of the string and damaged peroneal nerve training every Tuesday and Thursday ject to the fulfilment of the North. You’d like to think they would signalled the end to my playing days. night. The only dampener is the ‘Dales’ imposed restorative meas- have adopted me as one of their own by Bradford Bulls team While I was still at Rotherham, I got weather! ures and Matera’s captaincy now! that won the Middle- the opportunity to coach Ireland’s men at I feel privileged to have had met so is not guaranteed until the I had two spells at Wakefield, split by a the 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup in many great people and had so many won- restorative measures are season at Otley and a brief experiment sex Sevens in 2002” Dubai. I’d played for Ireland myself at a derful experiences in rugby. satisfactorily fulfilled.” with Rugby League at Featherstone few tournaments, as well as the U21s, so – as told to Jon Newcombe.