We sat down with a Lion fans' favourite, Brendan Clarke to ask him some questions ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Q: So why Lions?
BC: Lions being new to the 7s scene, have made an amazing impression on the circuit. What attracted me mostly was the fact l was looking for a new experience. I had heard of these guys and got approached by the founder & captain to play & I'm not one to shy away from a new challenge.
Q: How was your first experience playing for the Lions?
BC: My first experience is definitely one l will always remember. Me being the oldest in the team and getting nominated to captain the side during the M5 tournament in Bristol was unexpected but I enjoyed every second of it. I was able to grasp what the Lions were about and what their plans were for the next couple of seasons. We won the Shield during this tournament and I was very proud of the team who put in an amazing shift throughout, especially against teams that had been training together months & years prior to this tournament.
Q: You were selected for the squad to go to Dubai, how was that playing experience?
BC: The experience out there was absolutely phenomenal, this is up there with one of the best memories I have of rugby so far. This time I wasn't the oldest in the squad but yet again, nominated alongside three other players to be part of the leadership group. I was so proud of the boys' performance out there as the squad we took hadn't had many training sessions together, so each game we got better and better as a team. Again we were up against squads that train together frequently and have stronger bonds within the team but we got there in the end and l couldn't have been happier with the squad I was with.
Q: You scored a fairly important try vs Qatar in front of a big crowd, how did that feel?
BC: This game was extremely important as it was the decider as to whether we were playing the next day or just watch other teams. I was very pleased with the try I scored, especially with the build up to it. It went from wing to wing with Tom Derrick making a break. We spoke a lot about supporting runners throughout the tournament so when Tom made that break I was making sure I was supporting him the whole way and it paid off because I was able to score right underneath the posts. The crowd was fantastic especially our supporters as this encourages and gives yet another reason to give 100% on the pitch.
Q: What are you looking forward to most this season?
BC: Lions have been doing a lot of recruiting, getting new sponsors onboard and organising a lot of training sessions and tournaments. Being with Lions is feels like being in a professional environment. What I am looking forward to is getting back into a fun and competitive environment with them and improving our game play and doing some serious damage on the 7's circuit.
Q: Hong Kong and Spain have been announced in the 2022 series, how do you think the Lions will react to this challenge?
BC: Yes both teams are international but that isn't something that should phase us one bit! We played 3 international teams in Dubai so why should this be any different? We haven't played these teams before but that doesn't matter, as long as the Lions know the game plan and can execute it effectively I think we can give them a very good run and even win! We can't grow as a team if we don't come out of our comfort zone and shy away from challenges like this.
Q: The Lionesses are our new female rugby sevens team, what do you think they will bring to the club this season?
BC: Good exposure. Having a female side is beneficial in my eyes. I think it adds value to the team and allows others to gain new experiences just like I did. With the coaching staff and support we have, I'm sure the Lionesses will fit into the club smoothly.
Brendan is currently available to sponsor for the 2022 season. If you would be interested please contact us at lionrugby7s@gmail.com