To Chris Robshaw,
I come from a football-loving family, no one in the family had a love for Rugby and it was a sport for many a year I would turn a blind eye too. That was until one of my best mates Sam would invite me over to watch England in the Six Nations over a few beers. A love for rugby soon grew (as did love for Guinness!). After watching a few games you became one of my favourites to watch, a leader who put 100% effort into each game and left nothing out there. I also became a fan of Danny Care for his flare in the nine shirt and Mike Brown for his consistency under the high ball and in the 15 shirt. The love for Rugby was there and that’s when I decided I wanted to follow a Premiership team. Sam did his best to get me to follow his beloved Wasps and that probably would have been the easiest option, support the same team, go to matches together etc. However my decision was very easy when I realised you, Danny and Browny all played for Harlequins and you trained a mile down the road from where I lived!
I remember following Quins on the TV for a while and then decided it was time to go to a game. I remember my first Quins game at the Stoop like it was yesterday. A very cold January evening in 2015 under the lights with Sam – Quins Vs Wasps in the Champions Cup. We sat in the South Stand, open to the elements! I have never been so cold in my life! I even brought a Quins Hoody before the game to try to keep warm! It probably wasn’t the best game to entice someone to return but It didn’t matter. You, Easter and Clifford in the back row were awesome and on another day, the result could have been different – I was hooked!
In the year or so that followed, I went to a handful of games which included my first Big Game at the big Twickenham – the 39 all draw with Gloucester (Nick Evans nearly winning it with the drop goal) The following season, circumstances allowed me to get a season ticket with one of my colleagues Ed. What a decision that was – to be able to see the likes of you, DC, Marler, Browny at the Stoop every other week is priceless. As the Captain, you can see that every man in the shirt is playing for you, you lead by example and the team follows, it’s been a pleasure in these last 4 seasons to see you play week in week out and I am just so sorry that we couldn’t say goodbye properly! It is hard to imagine a Harlequins team without you, or imagine a stoop that will not have you leaving everything you have out there. As fans we know these days will come, A rugby career is not always a long one but it doesn’t make it easier – hopefully, in time you will be granted a testimonial game and be able to lead the team out one last time and the fans be able to say bye properly.
Thank you Chris Robshaw for making me fall in love with Quins, The Stoop, I look forward to my Friday evenings or Saturday Afternoons at the stoop, a game of rugby, and a few Guinness with Friends and a dance in the Kings Bar after the game (Now the Chris Robshaw Bar!) and hopefully those times will return sooner rather than later!
The word Legend is overused in the modern day but you certainly are a Harlequins Legend, Thanks for the memories, the Trophies and well done for a fantastic career! Good luck in San Diego!
“Come All Without, Come All Within, You’ll Not See Nothing Like A Mighty Quin!”
P.S Sam has been to more Quins games with me since I became a season ticket holder than he has been to Wasps game, so if you could have a word and tell him to get a season ticket it would be appreciated
Regards
