Mark had a busy weekend. Before defeating Auckland at the new stadium, he delivered the following inspirational speech to the young Blues winners.
"Good evening everyone. It is a real pleasure to be here tonight celebrating the achievements of Waikato University’s finest. Acknowledging our successes is an important component in setting new standards for others to aspire to and creating an environment where self-expression is something that is valued and indeed celebrated. For those of you that receive your University Blue tonight it represents a wonderful achievement. Not only have you excelled in your chosen sport or cultural activity but you have done this while studying at the University of Waikato. Managing your time to juggle practices, performances, lectures, tutorials, physio appointments and gym sessions as well as finding time to socialize, has taken a sense of self discipline that sets you apart from the pack. So enjoy the evening, pause and reflect on your accomplishments and those of your fellow Blues recipients.
My relationship with the University of Waikato began back in 1999 when I moved to Hamilton to further my Rugby career with Waikato and the Chiefs. Having played for Massey University in Palmerston North and Harlequins in Wellington seeking out the scarfies in Hamilton seemed the only logical option. It has been fantastic playing in a team with the traditional Varsity style who enjoy moving the ball and plenty of running. This year was a special and enjoyable one because for the first time in the Clubs history we made the final of the club competition narrowly going down to Marist 11-15. I personally found that being involved with the club this year revitalized my enthusiasm and passion for rugby again. It was great to get back to an atmosphere that was more relaxed than the cut and thrust of Super 12 and to play with a great bunch of guys who were out to enjoy themselves and play exciting footy. For the first time this year I felt old with a large percentage of the side being younger than my 25years. It was great to be able to share some of my knowledge with the team and explore more of a leadership role. It was disappointing that we couldn’t go all the way this year but the experience of a final will put us in great stead for next years assault. The success of the team this year has had a great effect on the club, with people really feeling positive about being involved with Varsity. A large part of this success was the wonderful support we received from our management team this year, led by Mark Tomsett our Coach. Mark, in his first year with the club played an instrumental role in harnessing the free spirit of the Varsity lads giving us direction through well planned trainings and game plans, which ultimately showed the guys that winning, was the ultimate way of having fun. The challenge for the team next year is to work hard to meet the level we have set this year and then realize the dream that we weren’t quite able to nail this year.
My relationship with the University has moved to a new stage in the latter part of this year as I have picked up a couple of interest papers in History and Politics. Since completing my Bachelor of Arts in English through Massey University in 2000 I took some time out from my study to concentrate on my Rugby. This year however I felt it was time to get back in the saddle and extend myself in some new areas. It is a tough challenge balancing the rigorous demands of a sporting or cultural career with the cranial demands of study but it is a challenge that I am proud of taking up. Balance is a crucial part of living a full and rewarding life and even though I’m sure many of us can testify that it isn’t always plain sailing it is a fantastic feeling to achieve in both areas. It often frustrates me the way that a percentage of youth today have a very low expectation of themselves. Education plays a huge part in this and having a had a small stint in the classroom at the end of last year teaching History to a 6th Form class I can see that it is crucial that teachers provide a pivotal role in unlocking young peoples’ talents and having high and realistic expectations for them to go after. Part of lifting young peoples’ expectations is improving their self image and confidence. This can be done by providing an environment where they are encouraged, challenged and supported to express themselves. I think this is the most important issue, encouraging young people to have high expectations of themselves and to show them that it is possible to have both an active and successful sporting or cultural career as well as studying. This is where all of us here tonight need to share our stories with young people to show them that it is possible. For me study has not only challenged me in a different area of my life but it has exposed me to a vibrant community of people to relate to and interact with.
This vibrant community is reflected here tonight where Sport and Culture, celebrate together. I was aware as I grew up that often the assumption was made that sport and culture did not mix. However, my experience was quite different. Thanks to my parents I learnt to enjoy both disciplines. My father, a Presbyterian minister, was a sports enthusiast in his day and still likes to think he can get one over me on the golf course while my Mum was the Head of Music at the High School I attended and had a great knack of bending peoples’ arms in the right direction, generally toward the Music Department. As I went through my schooling years I was encouraged to take up the many opportunities that were presented to me. I was involved in a number of cultural activities such as the school choir, concert band, Maori Club, and stage productions like Grease. In all of these activities I learnt more about myself but, in addition I experienced a similar rush to one that I often experienced on the sporting field. This rush is performance related and it is in performance that Culture and Sport have much in common. Whether running down a triple jump runway or playing in the school stage band, I was always focused on producing a performance that I was proud of and that best represented me at the time. That is the wonderful thing about performing, projecting an image of yourself for other people to enjoy and marvel over. Performance is the ultimate form of sharing oneself and is an extremely rewarding experience. It is often the case that we here people comment that they were deeply affected or moved by a particular performance which describes the way they have responded to the image that has been presented before them. Performance is an extremely commanding and uplifting process that illustrates the power of self expression.
In closing I would like to congratulate once again all those people receiving awards this evening. My challenge however is to not only share yourself on the stage of your chosen discipline but to share your story and encourage the young people that follow you to experience the power of performance."