England's high-flying family man |
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Garry Jenkins interviews Rory Underwood, who is a pilot in the Royal Air Force and plays in England's national rugby team. |
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1 | 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 | | 7 | 50 | | He admits , however, that his dedication to |
| 6 | | through a neat military crop 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. |
2 | 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 | | 8 | 57 | | The responsibility of being a father has been |
| 13 | | looking off the top of tall buildings. The | | | 58 | | a main influence in steering his course away |
| 14 | | difference is that if I am flying, I am fine | | | 59 | | from front-line action , he confesses. “Having a |
| 15 | | because I am in control." | | | 60 | | family was a big factor," he says. Yet he has no |
3 | 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- | | 9 | 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 |
4 | 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 able 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 | | 10 | 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 |
5 | 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," | | 11 | 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. |
6 | 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 |