Tyler Bleyendaal

Tyler Bleyendaal today confirmed his retirement from rugby after the battle to return from his latest injury proved futile.

This guy signed for Munster under Rob Penney and unfortunately he was injured while still on the books of Canterbury Crusaders and this injury meant his start with Munster was delayed by many months but when he was fit he played some cracking rugby be it at out half or inside centre where he stepped in many times in his 62 games in the red of Munster.

He won honours with New Zealand at under 20 level in 2009 and would have been right in the reckoning for higher honourers in New Zealand had it not been for a certain number 10 named Dan Carter, what happened to him I wonder !!

Looking at his greatest game in red, it has to be vs Glasgow in 2016 a week on from the death of Anthony Foley in the Champions Cup. He scored a try that will be long remembered by everyone there that day. The performance that day was driven by anger and a desire to win that is tough to match. He also landed a key conversion vs Edinburgh last year in the quarter final in Murrayfield.

These memories will last a life time and will be a great keepsake for Tyler who is still short of his 30th birthday in a few day’s time. Munster has lost two 10’s in the last few years prematurely with Johnny Holland having to retire before his 25th birthday in 2017. For Munster they will now have Joey Carbery, JJ Hanrahan, Jake Flannery and Jack Crowley to fight for the Munster 10 jersey when rugby returns.

Tyler I am sure will look back fondly on his time in red although injury did disrupt his 5 years with Munster. He may now look to get involved in coaching with Munster or at club level where he has worked with Garryowen in recent times.

The world is his oyster now and with a young family to look after you can be sure he will choose wisely is his next career move. From this author I’d like to wish Tyler and his family all the best with whatever is next in life !! Thank you for all your efforts in Red since your debut in 2015.

Audrey Fulham Interview

Hi Audrey, It’s a pleasure to get the chance to chat to you,

Hi Cian, lovely to chat to you too!

You are a Leinster Branch rugby referee, how did you start out on that journey ?

I began playing straight out of college as I had focused solely on studying for so long I found myself with very few enjoyable hobbies. So I began playing tag rugby, which turned into playing 15’s and then from there I found myself inching towards possibly refereeing. I studied law in Maynooth University so I already found myself well equipped for reciting laws, spotting infringements and figuring out the appropriate steps to take following. I saw Joy Neville at the World Rugby awards in 2017 she won Referee of the Year and I thought it was amazing. I then saw Leinster Rugby had advertised a workshop specifically for female referees so I went along and from there I began my journey.

Did you play the game before picking up the whistle ?

I played for 2 full seasons with Tallaght Rugby club. The women’s team is young but growing every year, and we played in a development league. It was great to be a part of a team and definitely tough to go from a team environment to refereeing and generally being on my own a lot.

What has been the reaction when you have turned up to referee games ?

Sometimes I get a few comments about being a female or my looks which I know my male counterparts wouldn’t receive, but other than that it’s been generally positive. I’ve learned that when people make comments about my gender that it doesn’t come from a place of malice, but rather they just aren’t used to seeing many female referees and it’s new to them.

What sort of support is available to you through the branch or IRFU to deal with tough situations ?

The support within the Leinster branch and IRFU is amazing. There’s always someone on the other end of the phone to call and chat through a match. If you’re feeling you made a bad decision or even if it’s something like not being able to get positioning right at the breakdown there are so many people to speak to who will help you through this step by step. When I first began refereeing I was approached by Su Carty, a fellow referee, and she took me under her wing. She’s been a fantastic support throughout my entire time refereeing. We have had hour long phone calls discussing plans for my next games and I feel so lucky to have someone like her as a mentor.

What prompted you to begin refereeing ?

When I saw Joy Neville winning Referee of the Year I was so inspired! I mentioned it to a couple of people from my rugby club in Tallaght and the mens head coach Tom Leigh told me to go for it and a few others told me about the female referee workshop!

What type of referee are you, by the book or do you referee each game on its merits ?

I like to take each match on it’s on merits but you need to have some sort of structure and refereeing style. My main aim for each match is to make sure that each player is safe and that there is a good competition. You want to be consistent as well as approachable on the pitch. It’s also important to enjoy yourself and let the players play in good spirits. If your attitude towards the players is negative or unapproachable then you might lose that game management and respect of the players, so I try to stay as positive as I can before, during and after each match.

Which referee if any would you watch the way he or she deals with players on the field of play ?

I love watching videos on Youtube of referees speaking with players! I think George Clancy is fantastic, and Ben Whitehouse speaking to John Muldoon in a Munster v Connacht game in 2015 was brilliant. There are so many examples I could give but I have definitely tried to adopt these mannerisms and soundbites into my own match if appropriate. There is always a nice way of saying thing’s to players or captains and I think it’s important to keep that standard up at all times.

Rugby seems to have an advantage over other sports in the way players speak to referee’s, what are your own personal feelings on this ?

Rugby is definitely one of the most progressive and forward thinking sports in the world and I think a big part of that is respect for the referee at every match. I don’t think I would have it in me to referee soccer or GAA as things can get quite heated on the pitch!

What do you hope to achieve as a referee, would you have aspirations to go as far as you can or would staying local suit you ?

I always say to aim high and you might just reach under that, so I will say that I want to referee a World Cup final, so if that means I referee AIL consistently for a number of years then I would consider that a major win! I am working towards being put on IPAS at the moment which is a 1-2 year period of refereeing in all 4 provinces and being assessed by the 4 provincial associations. If they’re happy with you, you can get put up to the national panel, and that’s my aim at the moment.

What sort of fitness level do need to maintain throughout the year ?

A lot of referees have different levels of fitness, and depending what level you want to referee at this can change. For the last 2 years I have trained with other referees in Terenure Rugby Club run by Paul Haycock twice a week. Then a match, possibly two matches, on the weekend. In between that you would still go to the gym or go for a walk, jog, run. During our training sessions in Terenure we would do a lot of long distance training, speed training, positioning and we would always discuss situations we found ourselves in in our matches from the weekend.

Lastly Audrey, what are your hopes for 2020 ?

My hopes for 2020 have had to be changed due to the pandemic but in general I just want to stay fit and healthy, eat well and look after my mental health too. I’m not sure when rugby will be back at a domestic level, but if it’s this year, I would hope that I can use my learning points from this season and work on them.

Thank you so much for taking the time out to chat with me…..

New Questions :

How are things for you and your family in the current situation during the COVID 19 Pandemic ?

We are all safe and healthy, fortunately. I am currently living with my boyfriend in his parents house to save for a deposit for a house so I can’t say I’m ever lonely! I miss my own family a lot during this, particularly my little sister who is immunocompromised and is cocooning at the moment. However, I know they’re home safe and I will see them all when things go back to normal!

How did your exams go ?

My exams have been postponed to August 2020 which is good as I was finding it difficult to get any study done when there’s a global pandemic. I am so grateful they have been moved to a later date and my heart goes out to those sitting their Leaving Cert’s this year, as well as one of my best friends who is currently sitting final year exams in Trinity College and I can see the stress she is under, no one could have ever predicted thing would be this way  

How do you keep structure on your day’s ?

Well I’m working from home at the moment Monday to Friday so that helps a lot in keeping that structure. I think getting yourself dressed and putting on a pair of shoes, just to walk into a different room in the house to work really helps get you motivated and focused for the day. I’m also doing some home work outs a couple of times per week, there’s a lot of great content on Youtube and social media a the moment to help those at home all day. It’s strange because I always say that one of my favourite things to do is “to do nothing”, like just relax. I was always on the go, prior to the pandemic, with training, matches, workshops, area meetings etc. that I never get the opportunity to just sit and watch movies/TV shows or play the playstation, so I’m thinking of this as a positive, rather than a negative, in getting to enjoy simple pleasures.

 

Thanks Cian! Sorry for the delay!

Thanks

 

I just felt it only right and proper to put a quick note of thanks together to all who took the time out to wish me a Happy Birthday. Over the last 2 months life as we know it has changed and we will stay with the “new normal” for another while.

Many families haven’t been in a position to meet each other face to face for weeks and from May 18th, the restrictions put in place by the Government and National Public Health Emergency Team will begin to be eased but for the next two weeks we as a nation will need to continue with the restrictions for another while.

Turning 30 in Lockdown wasn’t too bad as with apps like Skype, Face time, House Party etc it is very easy to stay in touch with people. Of course just sending a text or making a phone call is just as effective.

This period is extremely tough for people, this situation doesn’t just affect one age group and so everyone needs to do what they can to help themselves and others. This is a strange time at the moment but also it is a time for people to take stock of their lives and priorities for the future. Maybe make that call or text you wanted to but never got around to doing…

It is a very testing time for so many and as I have so often said when I have written many pieces about my life and the struggles I have faced. There will be light at the end of the tunnel… It is much easier stay in touch with people in 2020 than it was when other crisis happened throughout the world.

Make the most of this time, get to know people by talking to them, we will get through this and get out the far side of it… To anyone who has lost a loved out over the last while, my condolences to you all.

We have always been seen as a resilient nation, it really is time to show that quality and that is easy to write down but let’s just see out this testing time and we will be hopefully be out the far side of all of this soon…. PS To anyone who will celebrate a birthday at this time, from me Happy Birthday !!!