Former Bronco Ady Spencer tells Boots 'n' All about his vital RFL role and winning the Varsity match.
This is the only game students MUST win
He played in four Varsity matches and never lost - now Ady Spencer is helping to expand rugby league's winning formula across the country.
The former Cambridge University and London Broncos player is currently employed as the RFL's business development manager and is revelling in the chance to extend the game's reach.
Speaking to
Boots 'n' All, Spencer explained how the sport is growing in the south but couldn't resist looking forward to this week's Varsity match on Thursday when his old university will attempt to end a two-game losing streak.
"I think many people will tell you the Varsity match is not the No 1 student fixture but because of the nature of it being Oxford and Cambridge it attracts a certain amount of hype and attention and for those guys who play on Thursday it is probably going to be one of the biggest games they play in," he told
Boots 'n' All.
"It's the only game they need to win; they can lose all of the games in the rest of the season so long as they beat Oxford or Cambridge in the Varsity match that's all that matters.
"Lose it and you go back to Oxford or Cambridge with your tail between your legs and it can't be a pleasant feeling."
Network
Spencer has spent several years working in the recruitment industry in London and now intends to use the contacts he has built up to help rugby league grow.
"The job involves giving support on a business level to all the great work that is being done across the capital," he said.
"The amount of development work that has been done in the last 10 years since I left my role at the London Broncos by the club development officers across the south is quite remarkable.
"Ultimately we now have teams playing as far away as Medway Thames but what they've lacked for a number of years now is any commercial support so it's to provide media, marketing, commercial support to complement the work they clubs are doing.
"There are people out there who have come through the student rugby league system and I'm a big believer that if we start to network amongst those individuals we can pick up some very good contacts that can benefit the game going forward both in the south and the north.
"The clubs in London have to ask exactly what the message is that they want to send out to the communities and bring in the appropriate people and I think that's the way the game will move forward in the capital."
Don't forget that you can catch the Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge on Thursday at 7.30pm on Sky Sports 3.
