OD11 digital HR - Flipbook - Page 39
YOUNG ODs
PHOTOGRAPH JONNY ROCHE BY COLE CRUICKSHANK
Visit odunion.com for
an extended version of
this interview with Jonny.
No matter who’s in front of you,
you still have to take them down,
outthink them and outwork them.
“I’m trying to stay the same
person, but I’m working harder
and putting more effort into rugby.
The biggest challenge has been
balance: when you’re working
such long hours, it’s difficult to
always be there for your friends
or spend time with them. But you
don’t want to let other aspects of
your life fade away. You have to stay
connected to friends and family.
“You do have a job to do, and
people have expectations of you.
If you have a bad game, people
won’t be happy. You never set
out to make mistakes, but you
will make them – and dealing with
that is something I’m still learning.
“I’m not one to shy away from
opportunities, and I’d like to think
I’ve been grabbing them with both
hands. You can’t just sit back and
wait for things to happen. You have
to believe you’re the right man for
the job. But that doesn’t mean you
can’t get better – there’s always
room to improve.
“In the past six months, I’ve met
guys who do so much extra work
for themselves and for the team.
Someone like Brok Harris is always
giving advice, always there to help.
He coached me at U21 level while
still training full time with the
Stormers. He’d go through his
entire training session, then come
to our afternoon session and train
with us; he’d be there from 7.30am
to 7.30pm. Before one game, Manie
[Libbok] stayed after training to
help me tweak a few small things
that made a difference in the
game. I really admire that kind of
support and generosity.
Jonny Roche
“Bishops is where I really grew,
where I was shaped by the teachers
and coaches. Rugby-wise, it taught
me the philosophy of running
rugby and the belief that there are
always opportunities. The team
I was part of had this never-saydie attitude. You had to dig deep,
find the energy you didn’t know
you had left, and give it everything
you could.”
Jonny’s career advice for
young ODs
“Enjoy the process. It’ll feel long
sometimes, and most probably
tiring, but it’ll be worth it. Just
keep pushing through. You might
end up in a completely different
place from where you expected
to be, but that’s okay, because
you’ll have learnt so much.
The work you’re doing now –
even if it’s hard, or you don’t
see the benefits right away
– will pay off in the end.”
Mike Wright
(2014B) is a
creative all-rounder
with a keen interest
in media. When
he isn’t working,
running, cooking or studying, he
writes for his publication, Le Scarf.
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 37
