I think I’m just going to freestyle this first blog.
Off The Plane was supposed to be many other things at different points. I’ve always had an interest in many things, whether it be drinks, cocktails, wine, coffee, even food, and those interests grew alongside my experience of playing overseas, living in different countries, and learning about different cultures.
At one point, it was even about learning different languages. But what I realised along the way is that through all of these things, visiting different places, finding the significant little lanes, the small towns, the restaurants and cafés, there was always a story being told.
Once you give it a chance and really dive into these places, you soon learn about the people in that area, or the people involved in making whatever it is you’re experiencing. You begin to understand there’s always a story behind it. A lot of wisdom. A lot of commonality in what people are striving for and working towards in life.
At the same time, you start to see different perspectives, shaped by isolation, shaped by circumstance, shaped by what people learn on a global stage.
What I find most interesting is that there’s a thread. A thread of humanity. A thread of wanting to feel safe. A thread of wanting to belong. A thread of wanting to identify with something.
And the way I found all of this was through rugby.
I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had on the field, the challenges of preparing, succeeding, and failing. Most of the time, being incapacitated by injuries to certain parts of the body. Dealing with selection, with the subjectivity of people’s opinions about your performance and what you might be capable of in the future.
All of these things come into it.
And as you can probably tell by this point, there’s a lot of depth in what goes through the mind of a professional rugby player, or a struggling professional rugby player.
But on reflection of a short career, it’s the people, the places, and the experiences that matter the most.
I’ve played rugby my whole life. I’ve played in five different countries and travelled to many others. But the most important thing has always been the people and the experiences around that.
I’m grateful for the people I’ve found through the sport, through striving, being in it, and coming out of it.
Grateful for the relationships.
Grateful for my wife, especially through the different personalities that came out of me while pursuing this goal.
Grateful for my mum, for keeping me grounded and praying for me.
Grateful for my father-in-law and mother-in-law, for the love and support they gave me.
Grateful for my children, for being there along the journey.
Grateful for my good friends.
I’m grateful for the whole experience.
Rugby, this sport, has been a vehicle for my life.
And I want to use this platform to express and share some of those experiences with other people, both within the game and outside of it. To help people better understand where the game is at right now, how it’s struggling at times, how it’s searching for what it is, and the blurred lines between entertainment and sporting excellence.
There’s a story to be told in each and every one of our lives. Where we come from. What shaped us.
Hopefully, through this platform, I can find some of those stories and hopefully create something where others feel comfortable enough to share theirs too.
And last but not least, I’m grateful to the good Lord for guiding me through all of these experiences to this moment. I pray that He blesses this initiative, this project, this platform, and that it impacts people’s lives for good and for positivity.
Because we all need it.
Thank you,
ofahelotu