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Talking to people with a passion for what they do. Ben Horrod is club captain of Southsea Nomads RFC. The club is having a good season with the 1st XV playing in the Hampshire 2 League. Ben is also a secondary school teacher and is married with 3 young daughters.
Pic credit: Ross Grimson
What age did you start playing rugby? I was always playing sport as a child, but only began rugby when I started secondary school.
Why join the Southsea Nomads RFC? After moving to Southsea, I wanted to find a club that was easy to get to – Nomads were doing their pre-season training on the Common.
The team are truly nomadic, i.e. it doesn’t have its own club House? It gives the team a unique factor, and it’s so different from the other clubs that I have played at before. It means that we get out in the local area for social events, which gives the team a chance to try different places in Southsea
You are a qualified RFU Level 2 coach… The club has given me the opportunity to develop my skills and put me through a coaching qualification last season. This has seen me do more coaching at training, with support from the senior coaches this season.
You previously headed a girls rugby club U13 – U18s and now help coach boys U14s… As a teacher, I am always keen to help with extracurricular clubs, particularly sport. At my previous school, I set up a girls’ rugby team following the success of the England ladies team and it proved very popular. Since recently moving schools, I began helping with the boys’ rugby.
Coaching or playing? I enjoy both, but it has to be playing, at the moment! There is no better feeling on a Saturday afternoon than winning a physical and tough match with your good mates.
How does rugby fit into family life? It isn’t easy and is a constant juggling act. My wife is an angel and lets me play the sport that I love. It is great having the family on the sidelines watching and cheering me on, but they tend to be fair weather supporters!
The club has raised a lot of money for charity… Contributing to the local community is a huge part of the club. We have raised over £20k over the past 7 years to support local charities, mainly through the 10s tournaments that we organise each summer.
The team are having a great season so far… We have been building a strong squad over the past couple of seasons, and have fantastic senior coaches guiding us. We aren’t the finished article yet, but this season we have really started to put everything into practice.
In February it’s the 6 Nations, which team are you rooting for? England, of course.
Have you had any serious injuries? Nothing overly serious. I’ve broken a bone in my hand, and dislocated a finger a couple of seasons ago. Thankfully my body has managed the physicality of the sport well.
Do all players have to be over 6ft? Not at all. Rugby is a sport for all shapes and sizes, there is a position on the pitch for everyone!
