1 | 31-year-old Rory Underwood | 46 | joined the RAF a few days short of his 20th | |||||
2 | looks distinctly embarrassed as | 47 | birthday. With 11 years ' service already behind | |||||
3 | he confesses to a weakness that I | 48 | him, he is staying in the force for another six | |||||
4 | am finding hard to believe. "It's | 49 | years. | |||||
5 | true," he says, a hand nervously running itself | 6 | 50 | He admits, however, that his dedication to | ||||
6 | through a neat military erop of jet-black hair. | 51 | rugby may have prevented him from pushing | |||||
7 | 'I'm scared of heights, always have been." | 52 | himself to the limits of his abilities as a pilot. | |||||
1 | 8 | " I am not the only pilot who suffers from | 53 | While some of his training school partners | ||||
9 | it ," says one of rugby's most dangerous | 54 | took part in flying missions in conflicts such as | |||||
10 | attacking forces defensively. "Put me in an | 55 | the Gulf War, Rory has played a supporting | |||||
11 | aircraft at 40,000 feet , turn me upside down | 56 | role, concentrating on training other pilots. | |||||
12 | and I have no problems, but I really don't like | 7 | 57 | The responsibility of being afather has been | ||||
13 | looking off the top of tall buildings. The | 58 | a main influence in steering his course away | |||||
14 | difference is tha t if I am flying, I am fine | 59 | from front-line action, he confesses."Having a | |||||
15 | because I am in contro!." | 60 | family was a big factor," he says.Yet he has no | |||||
2 | 16 | As he once more reaches for the skies of | 61 | plans to expand the household by attempting | ||||
17 | rugby glory in England's assault on the World | 62 | to produce a potential male successor in the | |||||
18 | Cup in South Africa, which starts on May 25, | 63 | England team. "My wife and I have stuck on | |||||
19 | Rory has half an eye on new horizons. When | 64 | two girls. They are both lovely and I am quite | |||||
20 | the English team sets out for South Africa on | 65 | happy." | |||||
21 | May 16, he will be nearing the end of a richly- | 8 | 66 | His mother Annie takes pride in the | ||||
22 | rewarding sports career and is facing a fresh | 67 | achievements of sister Wendy, brother Gary | |||||
23 | phase in his life.This holds no fear for him. | 68 | and Rory's youngest brother, 25-year-old | |||||
3 | 24 | With the question of what Rugby Union | 69 | Tony, who is also in the England rugby team. | ||||
25 | players can and cannot do for commercial gain | 70 | She has become a familiar figure at rugby | |||||
26 | still unanswered, Rory realises he may miss | 71 | internationals, often raising a few smiles with | |||||
27 | out on the times when stars such as himself | 72 | her enthusiastic celebrations of the scoring of | |||||
28 | will be ab Ie to earn significant amounts of | 73 | the first brothers to play together for England | |||||
29 | money from the sport. "There could be big pay | 74 | since 1938. Rory maintains: "It is great. She is | |||||
30 | packets involved, but that is not why I came | 75 | immensely proud of us and she is more than | |||||
31 | into the game. That is why I will not end up | 76 | welcome to her piece of enjoyment." | |||||
32 | being bitter. I will probably be a bit jealous | 9 | 77 | Rory will leave fate to decide whether he | ||||
33 | because I was one of the players who was | 78 | can bring his remarkable career to a climax at | |||||
34 | there when the changes were happening, but | 79 | the end of the summer. He sees the World Cup | |||||
35 | rugby has given me so much more ," he says, | 80 | as "wide open", with England, Australia, New | |||||
36 | with a shrug."And then there's flying!" | 81 | Zealand, France and the host South Africa as | |||||
4 | 37 | "I used to read Marvel comics and Super | 82 | the likeliest candidates to collect the trophy. | ||||
38 | man was my first childhood hero , I suppose," | 10 | 83 | If the England team do pull off the biggest | ||||
39 | he says. "I used to wonder what it must be like | 84 | win in their history, you can be sure of one | |||||
40 | to fly through the air like that. I joined the | 85 | thing: Rory Underwood will overcome his fear | |||||
41 | RAF section of the CCF (Combined Cadet | 86 | of heights to climb the stadium steps, no | |||||
42 | Force) at school and then the RAF recruit- | 87 | matter how high, and collect the most | |||||
43 | ment films made their impression on me." | 88 | glittering prize his sport has to offer. | |||||
5 | 44 | A qualified pilot at 16, Rory earned a flyer's | ||||||
45 | licence before he passed his driving test. He | 'Daily Express', April 29, 1995 |