Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’M READY TO ENJOY MY NEW LIFE IN FRANCE
Jackson opens up on return to rugby after rape acquittal
and my family have just had to get used to. You only can really understand if you have been in my shoes or my family’s shoes.
“It’s something you get used to. You stick together and you help each other.
“I have come out somewhere where people know about it but they are all respectful and understanding about it.
“They have helped me in training to get into the lifestyle here. I have just been focusing on playing here.”
Jackson said he is aware of the comments of IRFU performance director David Nucifora — made on the day after he arrived in France — who suggested in June the door might not be closed on Olding and him returning to play in Ireland.
He added: “I saw the comments but I just take everything as it comes now. There is no point getting too worked up over anything.
“I am just loving being here and trying to just fit in as much as I can. I am just glad to be back playing.
“I have somewhere where I have friends and family coming over to visit. It’s a lovely climate.”
Jackson made an impressive debut for the Top 14 side last Thursday against Toulouse in a pre-season friendly.
He is the star summer signing for Perpignan, who were relegated for the first time in their 116-year history four seasons ago and who have recently been promoted back to the top flight.
DIFFICULT
Olding, 25, has signed for another French side Brive and has also impressed in preseason friendlies.
Jackson, who made his Irish debut against Scotland in 2013 and won his 25th cap in Japan last summer, said he is putting a lot of effort into learning to speak French. He added: “The language has been the most difficult thing. I have a very small bit of French from school, which is not very good at all.
“I have been getting lessons twice a week and just trying to stay on top of it.
“At the minute it’s not clicking in speaking but I can start to understand reading and stuff like that.”
Jackson was quite vociferous running his backline against Toulouse, but he said that was down to him learning key rugby phrases. He added: “It’s different on the rugby pitch because you have your calls which I know what a call means.
“Rugby is almost a language in itself. I have struggled with the language.
“But once I got out on the pitch I felt like I just came out of my shell again.
“I was just back playing rugby which is all I wanted to do. “I just want to fit into the team and do the best I can.
“I am just enjoying being back playing.”
Once I got out on the pitch I felt like I just came out of my shell PADDY JACKSON PERPIGNAN