Olding gushes about Brive ‘blessing’ and life after rape trial
STUART Olding has said he’s settling in well with his new French side Brive – and is even taking French lessons as he looks to put the high-profile Ulster rugby rape trial behind him.
Although understandably reticent to talk about the trial, the former Ulster and Ireland centre is relieved to be back playing rugby and is grateful to Brive coach Jeremy Davidson for giving him the chance.
He said: ‘It’s been a blessing to get back out onto the pitch and get back into a team. I am very, very thankful to Brive for that. They took me under their wing and I settled in very well. I just want to repay them for that.
‘I settled in a lot quicker than I thought. Coming over, moving over to a new country and everything was exciting but quite daunting as well – not knowing anyone in the team apart from knowing of [former Ireland and Ulster player] Jeremy Davidson back home. He had just left Ulster as I came into the academy.’
Olding will play his final pre-season game against Connacht on Saturday before his team open their campaign in the ProD2 – the French second tier – away to Bayonne
‘I want to go out and enjoy myself’
on Saturday night. That will be his first competitive match since suffering an ankle injury against Ospreys in April 2017.
He was suspended, along with fellow rugby star Paddy Jackson, 26, in July last year, after they were charged with rape. The two players had their Ulster contracts revoked in April this year following an IRFU and Ulster review conducted after their trial.
Both were acquitted in March of raping a woman in June 2016.
Jackson recently togged out for the first time for another French side, Perpignan, and received a warm welcome from fans.
Brive coach Davidson, 44, believes Olding will be a big success in France as he rebuilds his rugby career. The club organises French classes for foreign players and Olding admitted learning the language has been the most difficult part of his move to Brive.
‘I got a D in GCSE French. That’s the height of it. But the guys are very good,’ said the 25-year-old ex-Belfast Royal Academy pupil. ‘All of the French guys here speak English to me and I try to reply in French to them a lot of the time. They appreciate that as well.’
He has learned the key rugby phrases in French and has adapted to using them in games. ‘That is what you have to do for learning the relevant plays. The plays are OK, you learn the actual phrases to use. Everyone knows those,’ he explained. ‘Going out for coffees with the guys, I want to go out and learn the language. I don’t want to go out and sit by myself. I want to go out and enjoy myself.
‘You pick up bits and bobs and guess what they are talking about. You pick up a couple of words and then you reply. It’s going well.
‘I settled in within the first week here. And that’s down to the guys here. They are all very helpful to me, very kind to me, showed me the ropes, showed me around town. Settled in excellently well.’
Belfast native Davidson, who has built a stellar coaching career after his days as a lock for Ulster, London Irish, Castres, Ireland and the Lions, took charge of Brive after their relegation in May and said he had no hesitation in snapping up Olding.
He said of Olding: ‘He has fitted in really well. He has made a real effort to speak French. He is enjoying himself here, out of the limelight. Hopefully he will continue on and keep getting better week by week.’
Davidson said it was important that Olding, like all overseas players, learned to speak French.
‘Whenever you go anywhere it’s important that you try and do your best to be an integral part of the team,’ he said.
Olding said he is not looking beyond his two-year contract with Brive but that he was made aware of the comments made by David Nucifora, the IRFU performance director, who said in June he wasn’t ruling out a possible return to Ireland for Jackson and Olding at some point.
‘It was one of the guys actually showed me it,’ he said.
‘I didn’t actually even hear about it. He showed me it. Who knows what will happen in the future? But I have signed here for two years and I plan on putting my full effort in here – and who knows.’