Room 101: Jacob Rowan – Leeds flanker

1. Name or place droppers
We’ve all met them and we’ve all experienced their condescending tone, telling us where they’ve been on their travels, who they’ve seen, who bought them drinks at the bar…without even the slightest clue as to how annoying they are being. I can handle the place droppers to an extent but when people start dropping names it’s time to join a different conversation.
TRP verdict:  Without naming and shaming it’s a no.
2. Awkward moments
Being a rugby player you tend to meet a lot of people at corporate events and other social days. The “greet” never fails to provide that awkward moment where I’m not quite sure how to play it. With men it’s relatively simple, I handshake my way to discussing their life and reason for being there. But with women it’s a different story. On most occasions a perfectly polite ‘hello’ or maybe a business-like handshake suffices, however the situation sometimes calls for a hug or a fake kiss on the cheek and I find that really awkward. It normally ends up with me leaning in at a funny angle or leaning back looking afraid of bodily contact. I’d love it if the right etiquette was written down in black and white.
TRP verdict:  You can air kiss your way into Room 101
3. Contract negotiations
Contract negotiations are part and parcel of rugby nowadays whether they concern TV broadcast rights, sponsorship deals or players and clubs. It’s a really difficult period for players when it comes to discussing your future. Rugby contracts last two to three years max, so two seasons of bad luck can leave a player in limbo: a family to uproot, a new team to integrate in or, worst of all, a new profession to find. The prospect of this will intimidate any rugby player. On the other hand a good year at the end of a contract leaves a player juggling offers and looking forward to a salary raise. To have your livelihood resting on the whim of your body as well as relying on your director of rugby and agent to get on in negotiations all makes contract negotiation time one of the rarely mentioned stresses of life as a rugby player.
TRP verdict:  It’s a deal, you’re in.