On the 10th March, Canterbury Christ Church will meet the University of Kent in a number of sporting events, in the prestigious Varsity battle. Unified went to meet Don Fletcher, the Men’s rugby 1st team captain, to see how preperations for the event are going.

Nicolas Verdier: Don, how do you feel with just two months until Varsity commences?

Don Fletcher: I feel confident. We’ve had a good season so far, even if we did get knocked out of the Cup in the first round. But we are top of the league with only one loss.

N.V: How will you prepare for Varsity?

D.F: We will carry on training on Mondays but we will have two fitness sessions a week. We are also going to make training a lot more demanding for the players over the coming months.

N.V: You haven’t trained for nearly two months now due to the weather, do you think this will affect your preparation?

D.F: Probably, because you need to train as a team. Even if the players are going to the gym quite often, the less you train together, the worse you perform. The weather should get better from now on though and with two fitness sessions a week, everybody should be back to full fitness pretty quick. So I am confident.

N.V: What are you expectations for the rest of the season and Varsity?

D.F: Definitely to win Varsity. But we also want to get promoted in the league with no more losses on our record.

N.V: On a personal note, are you back to full fitness after breaking your thumb?

D.F: Not quite yet. I have been doing a lot of weight training so I am stronger. But I have not played rugby for two months so I am not match fit yet.

N.V: Being the 1st team captain, is there any more pressure for Varsity?

D.F: Without a doubt. You worry about everyone else’s performances, the way the match is going and, making the right decision throughout the game, as well as playing your own game.

N.V: Have you thought about players you will pick for Varsity?

D.F: Definitely. It’s a big decision for everyone so I want to get that right.

N.V: What do you expect from your teammates?

D.F: Putting in the commitment we did last year. We trained hard and it all paid off.

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