My Life in Rugby: Dave Walder – former Newcastle, Wasps and England fly-half

It took just ten seconds for me to go from total joy to utter despair – I got a call while sat at home in Newcastle in 2003 and I was told:  “Pack your bags, we’re flying you out to Australia.”
I was on standby for England‘s World Cup squad, and for that brief moment I just didn’t know what to think. I hadn’t heard of any injuries at fly-half and by this point we were in the group stages.
It didn’t have time to sink in anyway, moments later I got another phone call saying ‘sorry, we meant to call Martin Wood’. That was that!
I sometimes wonder if I might have had a few more England caps had I left Newcastle a bit earlier, but playing for your country, albeit only four times, and your hometown club is the stuff of dreams.
I grew up playing three sports, rugby, football and cricket. I was actually England Schools‘ captain at cricket and skippered Graeme Swann – we had a few verbal jousts.
I took him to watch Newcastle versus Sunderland some years ago now and he was a good laugh. I still keep in touch with him on social media.
I was an all-rounder, and I guess that term covers me at sports because I kept my hand in at all three until Falcons offered me a professional contract at the end of my first year at Durham Uni.
I had eight great years with Newcastle. Scoring the winning try in the 2001 Tetley’s Bitter Cup final against Harlequins was the obvious high, in front of 25,000 Geordies.
But the second European final in 2004 against Sale was extra special because there was a lot of hype surrounding Jonny (Wilkinson).
Fans were urging him to come back from injury,   but four weeks before the game Jonny had told me there was no way he would be back. I felt I had a bit of a point to prove, and we won by four!
Jonny was such a great professional, he took the game to a new level with his dedication. I got to play alongside some of the best, although I think Jonny just used to use me as a ball catcher!
I’ve always had a great relationship with whoever I’ve been vying with for the shirt, whether it be Jonny or Danny Cipriani and Alex King at Wasps.
My time at Newcastle came to a bit of a sour end, though. Rob Andrew called me into his office at 8.15am. I had no idea what it was about because I still had a year on my contract.
He said: “I’ve got bad news, your Newcastle career is over”. Like that, I was gone. It was a bit of a blessing in disguise because I went on to win the Premiership with Wasps in 2008.
I had a hugely successful five years with Wasps but I always wanted to try it abroad, and the move to Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan in 2011 was a great opportunity.
I had almost moved to Castres in 2006 but it’s fair to say Japan’s league was easier on my knees at the age of 33 and the pay was good.
I came back to England in July 2011 to marry Camilla and we had our boy Hector over there. I’m pleased to say we’re expecting another baby in six weeks!
I’ve come full circle now.I’m sat back in the North East looking forward to my role as the attack and backs coach at the Falcons from July.