An interview with Wallabies rising star
An interview with Wallabies rising star
David ‘Bam Bam’ Pocock
The Name
David Pocock born on 23 April 1988 in Zimbabwe, Africa. David moved to Brisbane, Australia in 2002 before moving west to join the Emirates Western Force in 2006 at the age of 17. On his first day with the Western Force during a weight training session, he gained the nickname Bam Bam (after the little manchild from the Flintstones cartoon). He also made the mistake of telling people he didn‟t like it so, as you would expect, it stuck, though he has learnt to like it.
In his spare time he enjoys stand-up paddle boarding because its heaps of fun and you don‟t need waves to get out on the water. He also enjoys painting but thinks he‟s pretty hopeless at it. If he wasn‟t playing professional rugby he thinks he would be studying something at university but is unsure what it would be.
His family has always played a huge part in his life and definitely shaped the person he is today. They are very close and David tries to get back to Brisbane to see them as often as possible. With all the travel he does, he can not have any pets but if he could he would want either a parrot or an eagle.
The Game
David Pocock is a future wallabies star who is fighting for his spot at the no.7 jersey. Having already beaten stars like Phil Waugh, he is definitely a close contender for the starting spot and in time he will be a regular starter. He was the first of many who led to the changes in regulations for Super Rugby making his Super 14 debut for the Western Force against the Sharks in 2006 at the age of 18. He was unable to play earlier due to the age regulation ruling all those under 18 out of contention for Super 14. This has since changed and led the way for youngsters like James O‟Connor.
The Inspiration
David is an inspiration to many for his contributions to charity. He has just stared up his own charity project called eighty twenty vision with his best mate, Luke O‟Keefe. Their first project is „Give Life‟, a community development project in Zimbabwe.
“Eightytwenty Vision is an entirely not-for-profit organisation, focussed on creating a sustainable future for the disadvantaged by supporting their desire for change. We aim to create sustainability through the care and consideration of the environment as no true sustainability is possible without the respect and preservation of the earth in which we live.”
They liaise with people on the ground in Zimbabwe and raise money here, in Perth, to send over and they visit the project once a year to check on thing. You can find out more about this charity and how you can help at www.eightytwentyvision.org
One of the most important things in his life is his religion, he believes that Jesus set an example that is the only way to truly live, experience true love and live together in peace. He loves to read about and is inspired by people who have taken Jesus message literally. Some of these people include Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day and Oscar Romero. He believe they have all brushed aside 'religion' to earnestly understand and follow Jesus teachings.
His best rugby memories include being a part of the world cup winning under 19 side in 2006 and his off the bench debut for the wallabies in Hong Kong just last year. While he only played 15 mins off the bench he was a stand out and has since been tipped as a future great. When growing up he always hoped to play for the Wallabies and is looking forward to more game time in the season ahead.
Congratulations
Just days after being interviewed David was lucky enough to fulfil one of his hopes for the future by making the starting 15 for the Wallabies when they played Italy on the 20th June 2009. I wish him all the best for the future.
The Interview (as above) in PDF Format
Post Script
After completing my assignment on David Pocock I received my final interview questions back, along with new information that I think is vital to David’s life. For this reason I have added this additional information as a follow up.
As a young boy David grew up on a farm not far from the town of Gweru, Zimbabwe. His father worked the land farming ‘cash crops’ (potatoes, tomatoes and onions) before moving into flowers such as Hypercium. David attended Midlands Christian School where the ratio was 50-50 black to white but he never remembers there being any racism. It was not like in South Africa where the divisions between black and white were obvious and many of Dave’s best mates were black.
He first started playing rugby at school in year 3; he and his brothers loved it and found it to be the highlight of their days. When David first went to training he realised city kids weren’t as tough as farm boys and after smashing some of the other kids, he was sent to play with the grade 5’s. Soon after this he was deemed too big once again and was sent to play with the Grade 7’s. He played at this grade for 3 years and in his final year lost only one of 26 games. At a young age David aspired to play five-eight and would often practise his kicking in the backyard where 2 upright goal posts were set up. Rugby was huge in Africa during this time and it dominated how his family lived. David was always quite big for his age and because of this other mothers often complained about him hurting the other kids. In grade 4, he was put into the senior team. Being so physically powerful and talented for his age did not make him popular with some of the other kids and he was often ostracised by his peers.
As a new century dawned, the political environment in Zimbabwe began to change. Farmers were sent out a “Section Eight” letter which gave them 90 days to get off the land many families had held for generations. A few months before David’s family received their letter a close friend and fellow farmer from nearby was murdered and his son shot 9 times. This was a warning, and they realised it was time to leave. Another neighbourhood family were taunted and intimidated before being strangled to death. David’s family realised it was there last chance to leave to save their lives, David was only 12 or 13. The land was taken to give back to the blacks but it was done the wrong way and the land went to waste. Politics got in the way of the right way of doing things and many people were killed. Dave feels deep regret for the black people with nowhere to go. All they can do is watch as their homes and country are destroyed.
They soon escaped and after staying in South Africa for 9 months, David’s family was able to get a visa and in 2002 they flew to Brisbane. At first there was a massive culture shock. He got into school and made some friends but buried himself in his sport. Things were hard and his family had virtually nothing. The Zimbabwean dollar didn’t go very far and they had only the suitcases they brought with them. His family rented a place in Carindale and his grandfather paid for his first year fees at Brisbane’s Church of England Grammar School. In his second year he got a water polo scholarship but he was never offered a rugby scholarship. David’s way of dealing with all the change around him was to throw himself into whatever he was doing. His passion and ambition to move forward in life finally paid off midway through year 12 when Western Force assistant coach, John Mulivhill approached him with an offer he couldn’t refuse. It would allow him to ease into the Super rugby without exposing him too quickly. He was unaware anyone had been watching him play. After coming back from England, where he represented Australia A, he flew to Perth and began mapping the path that would lead him to the Wallabies as a future rising star.
At just 17 David was training in Perth and 3 weeks after his 18th birthday he made his debut for the Western Force against the Sharks in Durban 18 months later he was selected for the Wallabies Spring tour of Europe. Now Wallabies coach Robbie Deans speaks only good of this young man ahead of his years.
David still wants to help those back in Zimbabwe, which is why he and his best mate in Perth have started their own charity, eighty-twenty vision. They work with communities in Zimbabwe to teach them how to farm properly and show them how to maximise yield so they can become self-sufficient. David knows he has been born into an amazingly supportive family and has had so much opportunity. He hasn’t always taken the easy paths but he has always taken the right path.
I wish him all the best for the future both on and off the field.
The Postscript (as above) in Word Format
