The Big Interview – Legends Rugby
Ahead of the Legends Rugby Festival at Wimbledon RFC on Saturday 13th July, SportIndustry.biz caught up with tournament director Ian Dawson and former Leicester and England player Leon Lloyd to discuss how the idea came about and what this year’s Festival has in store…
Can you give us a bit of background about the Legends Rugby Festival, and what we can expect this year?
[Ian] Legends Festival is an initiative that’s been two years in the making, Leon and I have been involved in a Legends team in Dubai; Leon playing in it, me organising it. Two or three years ago we came over to play in the Masters 10s at the stoop which we won, we beat Harlequins in the final and decided a Masters tournament was a fantastic idea. We had our fingers crossed that they wouldn’t do it again, which they didn’t, and around 18 months ago we decided to put the plan into action.
The idea is to get rugby supporters toe-to-toe with their heroes, in a family fun-filled atmosphere to celebrate everything that is great and good about legends rugby.
Leon, as an ex-player, what do you think it is about rugby that seems to lure so many of the ex-pros back?
[Leon] I wish I knew the answer to that because i’d get it out of my system! My body is sore but the mind is still willing. I was lucky enough to get invited back to Leicester to play as part of Louis Deacon’s testimonial. I said to Louis that I would come play 5 or 10 minutes, but you turn up to Welford Road and there are 16,000 people there to watch 30 old people run at each other and you can’t help yourself. It’s unbelievable and all the lads in the changing room were able to capture conversations we left 8 years ago.
It gives us all a chance to forget momentarily that we are heavier and thinning out on top! But for those few minutes in the changing room it’s brilliant. I’ve played in a few Legends tournaments; I’ve been down to Cape Town with Bobby Skinstad and played for the English Legends home and away. It’s always great to catch up with guys you played with and more often than not you catch up with guys you played against. It’s quite sad, we can’t let it go!
Do you think there’s that social element of rugby that perhaps not many other sports have?
[Leon] Absolutely, to go have a few beers with the guys you played with and against, some of the stories that I have you don’t with anyone else, you do things as a rugby player and a squad that you would never do in the real world of business. The social side is the most important, that’s what we’ve tried to focus on in this festival, it’s not about the old rivalries, it’s about getting out there, having some fun and catching up with some of the old guys.
[Ian] When we first discussed this idea amongst the guys that we knew, they were already into playing. They thought it was a great opportunity to have those social moments that they thought had gone. There is real rivalry between the squads that are gradually coming together. Leicester are trying to dominate legends rugby in the same way they have dominated professional rugby. Given the chance to compete in front of crowds, they want to win.
It’s fantastic that clubs have taken this opportunity to get the best players out on the pitch and it’s great for the fans as well because once those players get out on the pitch they’re going to want to win.
Obviously rugby is all over the back pages with the Lions tour, were you looking to capitalise on that buzz?
[Leon] A lot of the guys who are playing in the event are out working during the Lions tour. We placed the date of the event a week after the end of the Lions tour, so it was a strategic decision. The timing is great and hopefully that will work in our favour.
[Ian] The Lions tours are pretty unique and they create a positive interest in rugby because it no longer matters if you are Irish or English or Scottish or Welsh and that’s what our Legends event is all about. About this time every four years there is always that question, who are the greatest Lions legends? What was the greatest Lions team ever? People get excited by the idea of seeing the guys that used to play all pull together, playing again and that also transposes itself into the Legends idea we working towards.
There seems to be as much action off the pitch as on it, including UB40. What’s the balance between festival, experience, atmosphere and rugby?
[Ian] We deliberately made it a festival as opposed to a tournament so that it is all about the day. To get the opportunity to have some music legends play after rugby legends meant that when we had the opportunity to get UB40 it was a bit of no-brainer. They like their rugby and they are excited about playing. It’s all about creating that family fun day, it’s something for the kids, mums and dads. Who better than finish a rugby party than UB40?
[Leon] I’m massively excited about UB40 because we are a different target audience to other tournaments out there. We are vets and legends, so its 35 and above. The good thing about UB40 is that they spanned the 70’s,80’s 90’s and now so It’s practically impossible for anyone who is going to be there not to have heard of UB40 or know any of their songs! It’s a family day because you can bring your wife and the kids, but secretly as a player you can catch up with your mates and have a few beers.
