Christchurch CBD
Thursday 25th March 2004
7:30 pm

Full Time Score: Bonus point win to Crusaders!

I want to describe one of the most intriguing experiences (so far) in my life.

It combined Toastmasters and Rugby in a staggeringly interesting way - that is to say somewhat more interesting than you might first imagine.

I had agreed to attend a Speech Craft course run by another club for the Canterbury Crusaders.

As I was to be a guest evaluator for one of the participants, I tried to stop myself from thinking too much about who might be there.

I needn't have bothered however...

There were 2 members of the management and 2 players: Assistant coach Don Hayes, Player development manager Angus Gardiner, and the players were the little know Reuben Thorne and Richard MaCaw!

I felt like someone hit me in with a ‘ball & all’ tackle as I walked in the door!

During the evening we saw each of them give a prepared 5 minute speech - both players evaluated another speaker - and all four give a 90 second impromptu speech.

It was a fascinating evening. If you were even remotely interested in people watching you would have had a ball.

Obviously there were the 'famous' young men to observe. But also there were middle aged women (who really should have know better) simply gushing with excitement.

(How I behaved myself I really couldn't give you an objective comment on :-)

Did I enjoy the shoe being on the other foot? Showing my expertise (not world class - but pretty good) and speaking experience in front of guys who I admire for their skills?

Bloody oath! Well... after my brain stopped racing and the worst of the shakes died down, I did.

Reuben Thorne is one of those people who give you all of their attention. Which generally is fantastic support for a speaker, but from him it was fairly daunting!

Giving advice/feedback to anyone is a fulfilling feeling, so giving it to someone who you know doesn't like public speaking but does so every week is fairly special. I just hope that is was useful for him.

I know that the evening was useful to me. Apart from great experience speaking to a different audience, I got my rugby ball signed by both Reuben and Ritchie.

And unlike at the DB Ad filming,  I didn't feel like it was a major imposition by me.

I had given them something in exchange.